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    A Complete A-Z Guide Explaining the Key Terms and Definitions in the FIFA Football Agent Exam Study Materials

    By
    Dr. Erkut Sogut , Jamie Khan
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    Introduction

    To pass the FIFA Football Agent Exam, candidates must learn all of the rules, regulations, policies and guidelines contained in the FIFA Study Materials. However, the fundamental aspect of learning these regulations is first understanding the terminology that FIFA uses throughout the document. In all of the relevant clauses, it is hard to comprehend what they are telling you unless you know the definition of each term and abbreviation.

    In the beginning of each FIFA Document the definitions of key terms are outlined. This blog provides a complete A-Z list of every definition you need to know when tackling the FIFA Football Agent Exam and where to find them within the FIFA Study Materials. In each definition we have also underlined the main ideas to help your learning.

    A-Z of FIFA Terminology

    Key: 

    FFAR = FIFA Football Agent Regulations

    FCHR = FIFA Clearing House Regulations

    RSTP = FIFA’s Regulations on the Status & Transfer of Players

    Statutes = FIFA Statutes

    FIFA COE = FIFA Code of Ethics

    TERM DOC DEFINITION
    Academy FFAR & RSTP An organisation or an independent legal entity whose primary, long-term objective is to provide players with long-term training through the provision of the necessary training facilities and infrastructure. This shall primarily include, but not be limited to, football training centres, football camps, football schools, etc.
    Agency FFAR An organisation, entity, firm or private company retaining, comprising, employing or otherwise acting as a vehicle for the business affairs of one or more Football Agents.
    Allocation Statement FCHR The document issued by the FIFA general secretariat tothe FIFA Clearing House that provides it with the necessary information to process payments, notably the paying and receiving parties and the amounts to be distributed.
    Approach FFAR (i) Any physical, in-person contact or contact via any means of electronic communication with a Client; (ii) any direct or indirect contact with another person or organisation linked to a Client, such as a family member or friend; or (iii) any action when a Football Agent uses or directs another person or organisation to contact a Client on their behalf in the manner described in (i) or (ii) above.
    Association Statutes A football association recognised as such by FIFA. It is a member of FIFA, unless a different meaning is evident from the context.
    Association Football Statutes The game controlled by FIFA and organised by FIFA, the confederations and/or the member associations in accordance with the Laws of the Game
    Bridge Transfer RSTP Any two consecutive transfers, national or international, ofthe same player connected to each other and comprising a registration of that player with the middle club to circumvent the application of the relevant regulations or laws and/or defraud another person or entity.
    British Associations Statutes The four associations in the United Kingdom – The Football Association, The Scottish Football Association, The Football Association of Wales and The Irish Football Association (Northern Ireland).
    Bureau of the Council Statutes The bureau of the Council as defined in art. 38 of these Statutes.
    Client FFAR A member association, club, player, coach, or Single-Entity League that may engage a Football Agent to provide Football Agent Services
    Club Statutes A member of an association (that is a member association of FIFA) or a member of a league recognised by a member association that enters at least one team in a competition
    Club-trained Player RSTP A player who, between the age of 15 (or the start of the season during which he turns 15) and 21 (or the end of the season during which he turns 21), and irrespective of his nationality and age, registered with his current club for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons or of 36 months.
    Coach RSTP An individual employed in a football-specific occupation by a professional club or association whose:i. employment duties consist of one or more of the following: training and coaching players, selecting players for matches and competitions, making tactical choices during matches and competitions; and/orii. employment requires the holding of a coaching licence in accordance with a domestic or continental licensing regulation.
    Competition Period RSTP The period starting with the first official match of the national league championship or national cup competition, whichever comes first, and ending with the last official match played within those competitions.
    Compliance Assessment FCHR The procedure required to be performed by the FIFA Clearing House prior to accepting any potential client in order to satisfy financial regulatory requirements
    Confederation Statutes A group of associations recognised by FIFA that belong to the same continent (or assimilable geographic region).
    Congress Statutes The supreme and legislative body of FIFA.
    Connected Football Agent FFAR A Football Agent is connected to another Football Agentas a result of their: (i) being employed or contractually retained by the same Agency through which Football Agent Services are conducted; (ii) both being directors, shareholders in, or co-owners of the same Agency through which Football Agent Services are conducted; (iii) being married to one another, domestic partners, siblings of one another, or parent and child or stepchild; or (iv) them having made any contractual or other arrangements, whether formal or informal, to cooperate, on more than one occasion, in the provision of any services or to share the revenue or profits of any part of their Football Agent Services.
    Council Statutes The strategic and oversight body of FIFA.
    Country Statutes An independent state recognised by the internationalcommunity
    Dispute Resolution Chamber FCHR The Dispute Resolution Chamber of the Football Tribunal as defined in the Procedural Rules.
    Distribution Statement FCHR The document generated by the FIFA Clearing House thatcontains information about payments of training rewards to which the training club(s) in question is (are) entitled.
    Electronic Domestic Transfer System RSTP An online electronic information system with the ability to administer and monitor all national transfers within an association, in line with the principles of the model implemented at international level through the transfer matching system (cf. Annexe 3). At a minimum, the system must collect the full name, gender, nationality, date of birth and FIFA ID of the player, the status (amateur or professional as per article 2 paragraph 2 of these regulations), the name and FIFA ID of the two clubs involved in the national transfer, as well as any payments between the clubs, if applicable. The electronic domestic transfer system must be integrated with the electronic registration system of the association and with the FIFA Connect Interface in order to exchange information electronically.
    Electronic Player Passport RSTP An electronic document containing consolidated registration information of a player throughout their career, including the relevant member association, their status (amateur or professional), the type of registration (permanent or loan), and the club(s) (including training category) with which they have been registered since the calendar year of their 12th birthday.
    Electronic Player Registration System RSTP An online electronic information system with the ability to record the registration of all players at their association. The electronic player registration system must be integrated with the FIFA Connect ID Service and the FIFA Connect Interface in order to exchange information electronically. The electronic player registration system must provide all registration information for all players from the age of 12 through the FIFA Connect Interface and, in particular, must assign each player a FIFA ID utilising the FIFA Connect ID Service.
    Eleven-a-side football RSTP Football played in accordance with the Laws of the Game as authorised by the International Football Association Board.
    Engaging Entity FFAR A club, member association or Single-Entity League that mayengage a player or coach.
    Ethics Committee FIFA COE References to the Ethics Committee in this Code shallinclude the investigatory and/or adjudicatory chamber.
    FCH Terms and Conditions FCHR The terms and conditions for a party to take part in a transaction involving the FIFA Clearing House.
    FIFA Statutes “Fédération Internationale de Football Association”
    FIFA Clearing house RSTP The entity that acts as an intermediary in relation toprocessing certain payments made in the football transfer system.
    FIFA Connect ID Service RSTP A service provided by FIFA assigning globally valid unique identifiers (the FIFA ID) to individuals, organisations, and facilities, providing duplicate information in case of a second registration of the same entity, and keeping a central record of the current registration(s) of all entities with an assigned FIFA ID.
    FIFA Connect Interface RSTP A technical interface provided by FIFA within the FIFAConnect Programme, used to exchange electronic end-to-end encrypted messages between member associations, and between member associations and FIFA.
    FIFA Events   Any event, including but not limited to FIFA Congress, Council or committee meetings, FIFA competitions, as well as any other event that is within FIFA’s authority or organised by FIFA.
    FIFA ID RSTP The worldwide unique identifier given by the FIFA Connect ID Service to each club, association, player and football agent.
    First Compliance Assessment FCHR The first step in the FIFA Clearing House’s process ofperforming a Compliance Assessment for a specific transaction.
    Football Agent FFAR A natural person licensed by FIFA to perform Football AgentServices.
    Football Agent Services FFAR Football-related services performed for or on behalf of a Client, including any negotiation, communication relating or preparatory to the same, or other related activity, with the purpose, objective and/or intention of concluding a Transaction.
    Former Association RSTP The association to which the former club is affiliated.
    Former Club RSTP The club that the player is leaving
    Futsal RSTP Football played in accordance with the Futsal Laws of the Game that have been drawn up by FIFA in collaboration with the Sub-Committee of the International Football Association Board.
    IFAB Statutes International Football Association Board
    Individual FFAR Player or coach
    Interest FFAR (i) Any beneficial ownership of a legal person through which the relevant activities of those entities are conducted, except an ordinary and freely accessible non-transferrable personal membership entitling its owner to a single vote in club affairs; and/or (ii) being in a position that may enable the exercise of a material, financial, commercial, administrative, managerial or any other influence over the affairs of a natural or legal person whether directly or indirectly and whether formally or informally.
    International Transfer RSTP The movement of the registration of a player from one association to another association.
    Laws of the Game Statutes The laws of association football issued by The IFAB in accordance with art. 7 of these Statutes.
    League Statutes An organisation that is subordinate to an association.
    Match Agent FIFA COE Contained in FIFA Match Agent Regulations
    Matching Exception RSTP The status of an international transfer in TMS when both clubs have entered the basic information correctly (player, clubs and transfer instruction), but there are still transfer details (payment details or loan dates) that do not match in both transfer instructions. This mismatch prevents the transfer from proceeding.
    Maternity Leave RSTP A minimum period of 14 weeks’ paid absence granted to afemale player due to her pregnancy, of which a minimum of eight weeks must occur after the birth of the child.
    Member Association Statutes An association that has been admitted into membership of FIFA by the Congress
    Minor RSTP A player who has not yet reached the age of 18.
    National Transfer RSTP The movement of the registration of a player at an associationfrom one club to another within the same association.
    New Association RSTP The association to which the new club is affiliated.
    New Club RSTP The club that the player is joining.
    Non-Compliant Party FCHR A client of the FIFA Clearing House that fails a First Compliance Assessment and/or a Second Compliance Assessment.
    Official Statutes & FIFA COE Any board member (including the members of the Council),committee member, referee and assistant referee, coach, trainer and any other person responsible for technical, medical and administrative matters in FIFA, a confederation, a member association, a league or a club as well as all other persons obliged to comply with the FIFA Statutes (except players, football agents and match agents).
    Official Competition Statutes A competition for representative teams organised by FIFA or any confederation
    Official Matches RSTP Matches played within the framework of organised football, such as national league championships, national cups and international championships for clubs, but not including friendly and trial matches.
    Organised Football RSTP Association football organised under the auspices of FIFA, the confederations and the associations, or authorised by them.
    Other Services FFAR Any services performed by a Football Agent for or on behalf of a Client other than Football Agent Services, including but not limited to, providing legal advice, financial planning, scouting, consultancy, management of image rights and negotiating commercial contracts.
    Payment Notification  FCHR The document issued by the FIFA Clearing House detailing the amount(s) payable to the FIFA Clearing House.
    Platform FFAR The ​digital platform operated by FIFA through which the licensing process, dispute resolution process, continuing professional development (CPD) and reporting shall occur
    Player Statutes Any football player licensed by an association.
    Procedural Rules FCHR The Procedural Rules Governing the Football Tribunal
    Professional Club RSTP A club that is not a purely amateur club.
    Protected Period RSTP A period of three entire seasons or three years, whichever comes first, following the entry into force of a contract, where such contract is concluded prior to the 28th birthday of the professional, or two entire seasons or two years, whichever comes first, following the entry into force of a contract, where such contract is concluded after the 28th birthday of the professional.
    Purely Amateur Club RSTP A club with no legal, financial or de facto links to a professional club that:i. is only permitted to register amateur players; orii. has no registered professional players; oriii. has not registered any professional players in the three years prior to a particular date.
    Registration RSTP The act of making a written record containing details of a player that include:a) the start date of the registration (format: dd/mm/yyyy);b) the full name (first, middle and last names) of the player;c) the date of birth, gender, nationality, status as an amateur or a professional (asper article 2 paragraph 2 of these regulations), and nature of the registration(on a permanent basis or on loan);d) the type(s) of football the player will play (eleven-a-side football/futsal/beachsoccer);e) the name of the club at the association where the player will play (includingthe FIFA ID of the club);f) the training categorisation of the club at the moment of the registration;g) the FIFA ID of the player;h) the FIFA ID of the association.
    Registration Period RSTP A period fixed by the relevant association in accordance with article 6.
    Related Party FIFA COE Any party related to persons bound by the Code shall be considered a related party if they fulfil one or more of the following criteria:a) representative or employee;b) spouse or domestic partner;c) individual sharing the same household, regardless of the personalrelationship;d) other family member with whom they have a close relationship withina third degree;e) legal entity, partnership or any other fiduciary institution, if the personbound by this Code or the person receiving an undue advantagealternatively:i) holds a management position within that entity, partnership orfiduciary institution;ii) directly or indirectly controls the entity, partnership or fiduciaryinstitution;iii) is a beneficiary of the entity, partnership or fiduciary institution;iv) performs services on behalf of such entity, partnership or fiduciaryinstitution, regardless of the existence of a formal contract.
    Releasing Entity FFAR A club, member association or Single-Entity League that a player or coach is leaving to be employed and/or registered by an Engaging Entity
    Remuneration FFAR Gross financial compensation for employment set out in anegotiated employment contract, which includes base salary, any sign-on fee, and any amount payable if certain conditions are fulfilled (for example, a loyalty or performance bonus). For the avoidance of doubt, any future transfer compensation agreed to and any non-salary benefits, such as the provision of a vehicle, accommodation or telephony services, are not considered in the calculation of the gross financial compensation.
    Representation Agreement FFAR A written agreement for the purpose of establishinga legal relationship to provide Football Agent Services
    RSTP FFAR The FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players.
    RWWI FFAR FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries.
    Season RSTP A consecutive 12-month period fixed by an association during which its official competitions, such as national league championships and national cup competitions, occur.
    Second Compliance Assessment  FCHR The second step in the FIFA Clearing House’s process of performing a Compliance Assessment for a specific transaction where a client has failed the First Compliance Assessment.
    Single-Entity League FFAR An entity affiliated to a member association that organises a league (or leagues) and represents the common interests of its clubs, for example, by acting as the employer of all club players.
    Specified Transaction FFAR A Transaction where all of the parties involved are definedand identified.
    Stakeholder Statutes A person, entity or organisation which is not a member association and/or body of FIFA but has an interest or concern in FIFA’s activities, which may affect or be affected by FIFA’s actions, objectives and policies, in particular clubs, players, coaches and professional leagues.
    Third Party RSTP A party other than the player being transferred, the two clubstransferring the player from one to the other, or any previous club, with which the player has been registered.
    TMS Manager RSTP The main TMS user and point of contact for a club or association with access to TMS.
    TMS User RSTP An individual trained and authorised to access TMS on behalf of a club or association. All TMS users have their own unique login credentials.
    Training Compensation RSTP A compensation which a new club of a player pays, or commits to pay to a player’s former club, in exchange for the former club’s acceptance to release the player from a binding contractual relationship. Compensation for breach of contract pursuant to article 17 herein is not considered transfer compensation
    Training Rewards RSTP The mechanisms which compensate training clubs for their role in the training and education of young players, namely training compensation (cf. article 20) and the solidarity mechanism (cf. article 21).
    Transaction FFAR (i) the employment, registration or deregistration of a player with a club or a Single-Entity League; (ii) the employment of a coach with a club, SingleEntity League or a member association; (iii) the transfer of the registration of a playerfrom one club to another; (iv) the creation, termination or variation of an Individual’s terms of employment.
    Transfer Instruction RSTP The information entered in TMS to transfer a player from one club to another. The transfer instruction type is defined by the information entered: (i) “engage” or “release”; (ii) “permanently” or “on loan”; (iii) “professional player” or “amateur player”; (iv) with transfer agreement” or “without transfer agreement”; (v) “against payment” or “free of payment”
    Transfer Matching System RSTP A web-based data information system with the primary objective of simplifying the process of international player transfers as well as improving transparency and the flow of information.
    Trial RSTP A temporary period during which a player that is not registered with a club is evaluated by that club.
    Validation Exception RSTP An issue relating to an international transfer in TMS that prevents it from proceeding to the next status, thus requiring FIFA’s intervention.

    Revisión del Primer Examen para Aspirantes a Agentes de Fútbol de la FIFA (Abril 2023): Reflexión sobre las Experiencias, los Resultados y la Preparación para el Próximo 

    By
    Paolo Cucalon , Dr. Erkut Sogut
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    a classroom of fifa agent exam preparation

    Introducción

    El miércoles 19 de abril del 2023 fue la primera convocatoria del examen de la FIFA para aspirantes a agentes de Fútbol. Alrededor de 3,800 candidatos se presentaron en 138 diferentes asociaciones/países. Muchas de estas personas ya habían estado trabajando como agentes licenciados durante algunos años, pero los nuevos requisitos de licencia exigen que aprueben el examen para permanecer como agentes que pueden operar en el mundo del fútbol. Ha habido mucha anticipación y discusión sobre el examen en las semanas previas y después de la conclusión del examen, las discusiones han continuado.

    Ahora que conocemos los resultados globales del examen y que hemos hablado con agentes que realizaron el examen en más de 30 países, este blog compilará una revisión detallada de la primera sesión del examen de agente de la FIFA, desde las áreas por mejorar hasta las positivas. Evaluaremos la estructura del examen real, resumiremos el evento y cómo difería entre las asociaciones nacionales y, finalmente, los resultados de los candidatos que tomaron el examen en esta ocasión.

    La Estructura

    Como era de esperar, la mayoría de los comentarios que recibimos confirmaron que el examen de agente de FIFA cubrió una variedad de temas tomados de los siete documentos clave de FIFA; Reglamento sobre Agentes de Fútbol (RFAF); Reglamento sobre el Estatuto y la Transferencia de Jugadores de la FIFA (RETJ); Estatutos de la FIFA; Código de Ética de la FIFA; Código Disciplinario de la FIFA (CDF); Reglamento de Procedimiento del Tribunal del Fútbol; y Fundamentos de Salvaguardia del Programa FIFA Guardians. En total, se evaluó a los agentes sobre su conocimiento de las 528 páginas del material de estudio y se les pidió que respondieran preguntas de opción múltiple en el dispositivo digital que debían haber proporcionado ellos mismos.

    En algunas asociaciones con zonas horarias avanzadas, los agentes completaron el examen mucho antes que otros agentes que intentaban realizar el examen en otras partes del mundo. Hubo mucha comunicación entre los agentes globales, discutiendo las preguntas y respuestas y tratando de obtener una visión ventajosa de los contenidos del examen. Sin embargo, la FIFA había estructurado el examen recopilando un grupo de alrededor de 200 preguntas que luego se seleccionaron aleatoriamente en cada examen. Por lo tanto, las posibilidades de que un agente realizara exactamente el mismo examen que cualquier otra persona en la misma sala o que los agentes que habían realizado el examen más temprano en el día eran extremadamente bajas. Esto significaba que el consejo dado por los agentes que ya habían realizado el examen sobre los temas a enfocarse para una revisión de última hora era nulo y sin efecto, ya que las posibilidades de que apareciera la misma pregunta difícil eran poco probables.

    Muchos han argumentado que esto es injusto ya que el conocimiento requerido para diferentes preguntas variaba y, por lo tanto, algunos agentes se presentaron a exámenes “más fáciles” que otros. El punto final sobre esto es que la combinación aleatoria significó que la sugerencia original de FIFA, de que el 70% del examen consistiría en preguntas RFAF y RETJ no fue posible debido a la aleatorización del grupo de preguntas. Algunos candidatos informaron tener hasta cuatro preguntas sobre el mismo artículo del reglamento en su examen.

    Las preguntas no solo se seleccionaron al azar, sino que muchos de los que tomaron el examen dijeron que varias de ellas estaban fuera del reglamento y de los documentos de la FIFA, además de ser de basadas en especulaciones u opiniones subjetivas, a menudo no claramente definidas y vagas, lejos de evaluar la aptitud y el conocimiento de agentes, como debería haber sido diseñado para hacerlo. En algunos casos extremos, los candidatos informaron que algunas preguntas se formularon en otro idioma oficial de la FIFA, independientemente del idioma que habían seleccionado para realizar el examen.

    Los candidatos tuvieron una hora para responder las 20 preguntas, pero podían omitir preguntas y volver a ellas si no estaban seguros, incluso verificar sus respuestas dos veces si el tiempo lo permitía. Sin embargo, en un país se informó que el supervisor les había dicho a los candidatos que les quedaban 7 minutos antes de terminar el examen, pero el portal de la FIFA cerró automáticamente la página del examen después de 3 minutos, lo que significa que muchos agentes habían dejado preguntas sin responder o no habían tenido en cuenta el tiempo de verificación suficiente. Se han presentado quejas formales a la FIFA a través de la asociación nacional pertinente y se han pedido a los agentes que se les permita volver a realizar el examen.

    El Evento

    Ha habido un espectro increíblemente amplio de reseñas y opiniones compartidas con nosotros sobre cómo se llevó a cabo realmente el examen en diferentes partes del mundo.

    Para empezar, la preparación para el examen en las semanas y días previos al 19 de abril causó estrés y complicaciones para muchos que esperaban rendir el examen. En algunas asociaciones nacionales hubo denuncias de grandes retrasos en las respuestas a los correos electrónicos, la distribución de los métodos de pago para realizar el examen y la falta de comunicación con los candidatos sobre los detalles del día y el examen. Muchos admitieron que llegaron al lugar de examen correspondiente sin estar completamente seguros de que se les permitiría realizar el examen, ya que nunca recibieron un recibo de pago ni ningún tipo de confirmación de que fueran aceptados como candidatos para el examen.

    El pago en sí provocó un debate entre los agentes al rededor del mundo. En algunos países, el costo para realizar el examen fue de alrededor de $50 USD (hay informes de que fue gratuito en un pequeño puñado), mientras que en otros el costo superó los $1000 USD y superó el salario mínimo del país. Claramente, la FIFA no había estipulado un costo estandarizado y las asociaciones nacionales pudieron establecer arbitrariamente el cargo como lo consideraron oportuno, posiblemente beneficiándose financieramente al hacerlo.

    Si la acumulación por sí sola no había creado suficiente discusión y confusión, el día del examen en sí solo exasperó el sentimiento general hacia el examen. En muchos países, se informaron grandes retrasos en el comienzo del examen por una variedad de razones. Aunque en algunas asociaciones hubo pocos agentes que llegaron para rendir el examen, en un país había casi 1000 candidatos y, por lo tanto, el proceso de registro fue increíblemente largo y las filas se alargaron a una distancia considerable, esperando para presentar una forma de identificación y comprobante de pago, que incluso algunos nunca recibieron. Otras razones incluyeron fallas en la conexión wifi, bloqueos de la Plataforma de Agente de la FIFA, confusión del supervisor y problemas con un sistema de examen lento y defectuoso.

    En algunos países, el examen en sí no comenzó hasta bastante más que una hora después de la hora prevista y los candidatos se veían obligados a sentarse y esperar hasta que se les indicara que comenzaran. Algunos candidatos finalmente comenzaron más tarde que otros y fueron privados de tiempo al final del examen sin responsabilidad propia. La plataforma se puede mejorar para manejar la gran cantidad de inicios de sesión simultáneos que causaron los bloqueos esta vez. Fue un tema común en bastantes asociaciones nacionales diferentes que muchas comenzaron significativamente tarde.

    De acuerdo con los reglamentos de la FIFA, los candidatos debían proporcionar su propia computadora portátil para acceder al examen a través de la Plataforma de Agentes de la FIFA, y se les permitió una botella de agua de plástico transparente, así como los Materiales de Estudio de la FIFA sin anotaciones personales. Luego, se les proporcionaría lápiz y papel para los cálculos matemáticos. Sin embargo, nuestros comentarios han demostrado que estas medidas estrictas no se habían comunicado adecuadamente a muchas asociaciones nacionales y no se aplicaron adecuadamente. En casos menos severos, los candidatos hicieron los exámenes a través de sus iPads y tabletas, accediendo simultáneamente a plataformas de redes sociales y medios de comunicación como Whatsapp en caso de que así lo necesitaran. Muchos candidatos también cargaron los materiales de estudio de la FIFA digitalmente, lo que facilitó el uso de la función ‘control/comando + F’ para encontrar rápidamente secciones relevantes de los documentos para responder una pregunta. Sin embargo, en una asociación nacional en particular hubo un problema con la carga de los materiales de estudio y solo aparecieron las primeras 40 páginas para los candidatos a través de la plataforma de la FIFA. Esto resulto en un retraso ya que los candidatos tenían que razonar con los supervisores y determinar si era aceptable acceder a los materiales de estudio a través de su propia ruta.

    Desafortunadamente, la capacidad de evadir las reglas de conducta de los exámenes de la FIFA fue aún más severa en algunas asociaciones. Según los comentarios que hemos recibido de los candidatos, hubo muchos informes de colusión y colaboración entre candidatos. Parece que hubo una falta de control preocupante en muchas salas de examen de las asociaciones nacionales y, en general, las reglas de la FIFA se aplicaron de manera deficiente a nivel mundial. En un caso particularmente extraordinario del que nos informaron, un candidato se sentó junto al abogado interno de su agencia que, según los informes, podría haber usado sus datos de inicio de sesión para aprobar el examen en nombre del posible agente.

    Una de las mayores preocupaciones con el nuevo examen de agente de la FIFA para muchas personas en todo el mundo, es que solo pueden optar por realizar el examen en tres idiomas oficiales de la FIFA; Inglés, Francés y Español. Para una gran parte de los candidatos, este era su segundo o incluso tercer idioma y creaba un nivel adicional de dificultad, especialmente bajo la presión del tiempo. Los comentarios de algunos agentes árabes y alemanes resaltaron particularmente este problema. Sin embargo, se nos ha informado que, en algunos países, los supervisores permitieron que los candidatos usaran herramientas de traducción digital para traducir las preguntas a su idioma preferido. Esto no solo va en contra de la política de la FIFA para el examen, sino que también pone a estos candidatos en una ventaja sobre otros agentes que no pudieron traducir las preguntas y se vieron obligados a abordarlas en un idioma desconocido. Algunos candidatos ya han presentado quejas formales sobre esto ante la FIFA.

    En muchos países también hubo caos tras el final del proceso de examen, lo que creó más dificultades. El portal de la FIFA se cerró automáticamente después de que expiraron los 60 minutos, pero muchos candidatos que terminaron antes de tiempo pudieron levantarse libremente, charlar y alejarse de la sala de examen mientras otros continuaban tomando el examen. Esto creó condiciones de examen inapropiadas para aquellos que intentaban completar el examen y ha dado lugar a más quejas.

    La falta de control creó un desequilibrio y una desigualdad de oportunidades para que los agentes aprobaran el examen en diferentes partes del mundo. Aquellos que no pudieron evitar las estrictas regulaciones quedan automáticamente en desventaja frente a otros en diferentes asociaciones que tenían acceso a plataformas de redes sociales, ayuda digital y podían colaborar con otros candidatos. La esperanza es que, para el examen de septiembre, la FIFA se asegure de que todas las asociaciones nacionales estén adecuadamente informadas sobre las condiciones del examen aplicables y que se implemente un sistema para hacerlas cumplir adecuadamente.

    Ni la FIFA ni las asociaciones nacionales han considerado otros factores que deberían tenerse en cuenta en los exámenes en el futuro. Por ejemplo, no se hicieron concesiones de tiempo para los candidatos que requieren asistencia por discapacidad y tuvimos varios informes de que aquellos que se comunicaron con su asociación nacional preguntando sobre la posibilidad fueron ignorados o rechazados. Las discapacidades como la dislexia, el TDAH y más, hacen que los candidatos tengan velocidades de procesamiento más lentas y dificultades para responder preguntas en un entorno de alta presión y distracción en un período de tiempo tan corto. En la mayoría de los escenarios de examen, a estos candidatos se les otorga tiempo adicional u otras medidas para apaciguar las dificultades, pero este no fue el caso en el primer examen de agente de la FIFA.

    Los Resultados

    La sensación general inmediatamente después del examen fue de que los candidatos lo habían encontrado particularmente difícil y sentían que algunas de las preguntas no estaban incluidas en los documentos de la FIFA o estaban diseñadas para atrapar a las personas y hacer que reprobaran. En nuestra encuesta, encontramos que, de 120 candidatos, el 70 % consideró que el examen era “desafiante” o “muy difícil”, mientras que solo el 5 % votó que había encontrado el examen “fácil”.

    Una de las cosas más difíciles para los candidatos que nos han informado es la angustia mental de no saber de inmediato los resultados. Muchos pasaron la semana siguiente al examen contemplando sus respuestas y pensando demasiado en cualquier error que pudieran haber cometido. Existe el argumento de que tal vez, dado que es un examen objetivo de opción múltiple que se realiza digitalmente, los resultados podrían publicarse inmediatamente después o unas pocas horas después de completar el examen. Sin embargo, este es un tema que necesita una estrategia minuciosa para evitar crear problemas no deseados.

    A pesar de que muchos esperaban ansiosamente sus resultados el miércoles, exactamente una semana después del examen como se esperaba, se discutió que, en cambio, eran 7 días hábiles y que los resultados podrían publicarse el viernes. Resultó que fue el jueves el día que los candidatos de todo el mundo comenzaron a recibir correos electrónicos intermitentes felicitándolos por aprobar el examen e invitándolos a completar la etapa final para obtener su licencia; pagando la cuota! Significativamente, los candidatos no recibieron detalles sobre su puntaje exacto en el examen; era simplemente un pase o un rechazo.

    Antes de 2015, la tasa de aprobación del examen rondaba el 20% y se esperaba que una proporción similar lo aprobara esta vez. Para sorpresa de muchos, el 52% de los 3.800 candidatos, 1962 que realizaron el examen recibieron correos electrónicos confirmando que habían aprobado el examen. Varios nos dieron comentarios indicando que, cuando salieron de la sala de examen, estaban convencidos de que habían respondido incorrectamente a más de 5 preguntas y, por lo tanto, se sorprendieron al ver que habían aprobado. La única declaración oficial después de los resultados del examen que da la FIFA es confirmar el número de candidatos que aprobaron. Aún no se ha hecho ningún comentario sobre si la marca de aprobación se fijó en 15 como se indicó anteriormente. La tasa de aprobación vio números variables en diferentes asociaciones, posiblemente debido a las dificultades en el idioma y la traducción. Por ejemplo, en un país de no habla inglesa, francesa o española, solo 13 de 120 candidatos aprobaron con éxito el examen.

    Resumen

    El volumen de comentarios y pensamientos que recibimos de agentes de todo el mundo al contribuir con este blog indica la importancia de la primera sesión del nuevo examen de la FIFA para Aspirantes a Agentes de Fútbol. Los candidatos, y los ahora agentes autorizados, se sintieron apropiadamente apasionados por expresar sus opiniones y compartir sus experiencias del examen. Esta información no solo ha ayudado a educar a la próxima cohorte de candidatos que pueden intentar presentar el examen en septiembre, sino que también informa a la FIFA y a las Asociaciones Nacionales las áreas de mejora para la próxima vez y cómo ofrecer el mejor y más justo examen posible para que los agentes demuestren sus conocimientos y obtengan su licencia.

    Felicitaciones a todos los que tuvieron éxito en su intento de examen esta vez y a los que no aprobaron, no hay de qué preocuparse, hay tiempo suficiente para prepararse para septiembre y aprobar en el próximo intento.

    Para aquellos que ya planean presentar el próximo examen en septiembre, estén atentos a las plataformas de redes sociales de la Academia Erkut Sogut para obtener más información sobre los cursos de preparación para el examen.

    Understanding the FIFA Football Tribunal

    By
    Dr. Erkut Sogut , Jamie Khan
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    Introduction

    Before the 1st of October 2021, the decision-making bodies for FIFA were the Players’ Status Committee and the Dispute Resolution Chamber. From 1st of October 2021 onwards, this changed and FIFA amended the regulations governing its decision-making bodies in the Procedural Rules Governing the Football Tribunal document. In efforts to modernise its dispute resolution processes, FIFA established the Football Tribunal which consolidates the powers that the Players’ Status Committee and the Dispute Resolution Chamber previously had. Details are also contained in article 23 of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP). Article 1 paragraph 2 of the Procedural Rules Governing the Football Tribunal explains that the FIFA Football Tribunal is composed of three individual chambers:

    1. the Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC)
    2. the Players’ Status Chamber (PSC)
    3. the Agents’ Chamber (AC)

    This blog will explain what exactly each chamber is, the purpose it serves, how it functions, and the overall structure. 

    The Dispute Resolution Chamber

    The DRC is composed of a chairperson and two deputy chairpersons, fifteen player representatives and fifteen club representatives. Put simply, the chamber is tasked with adjudicating on employment-related disputes between players and clubs and disputes related to training compensation. Article 23 of the RTSP expands on this jurisdiction. It states that the DRC can pass judgements and settle disputes on the following matters:

    • Disputes between clubs and players in relation to the maintenance of contractual stability where there has been an International Transfer Certificate request and a claim from an interested party in relation to said ITC request. This typically relates to disputes when a player has unilaterally terminated their contract with the club to join a new club and the former club claims that the termination was unlawful and without just cause.
    • Employment-related disputes between a club and a player of an international dimension, including all contractual disputes where the player’s own nationality is different from the country where the club is based.
    • Disputes relating to training compensation and the solidarity mechanism between clubs belonging to different associations that are not governed by the FIFA Clearing House Regulations. However, they will also help settle the same kind of disputed between clubs of the same association provided that the transfer of a player at the basis of the dispute occurs between two clubs belonging to different associations, that are also not governed by the FIFA Clearing House Regulations.
    • Matters of legal or factual complexity in an Electronic Player Passport review process in accordance with article 10 paragraph 3 of the FIFA Clearing House Regulations and disputes between clubs in accordance with article 18 paragraph 2 of the FIFA Clearing House Regulations. These are as follows:
      • 10.3: “Following the completion of its evaluation, the FIFA general secretariat will decide on the registration information to be incorporated and amended in the final EPP. In situations of legal or factual complexity, the following shall apply: 

    a) The FIFA general secretariat shall refer the matter to the Dispute Resolution Chamber in accordance with the Procedural Rules

    b) The complete file is transferred to the Dispute Resolution Chamber and the EPP review process is paused pending a decision. 

    c) The Dispute Resolution Chamber will decide on the final EPP in accordance with the Procedural Rules.”

    • 18.2: “A club that: 

    a) did not take part in the relevant EPP review process; and 

    b) considers, as a result of a bridge transfer (cf. article 5bis of the RSTP), exchange of players or information declared by the new club or its member association (including the training category of the club), that: 

    i. it was incorrectly not entitled to any training rewards, or entitled to a lesser amount than should have been calculated; or 

    ii. an EPP review process should have taken place; and 

    c) considers that it is entitled to receive training rewards, may lodge a claim against the relevant clubs in accordance with article 27 of the Procedural Rules. The Dispute Resolution Chamber shall decide such claims.

    The Players’ Status Chamber

    The PSC is composed of a chairperson and a deputy chairperson and the necessary number of members as decided by the FIFA Council. These members are proposed by members associations, confederations, players, clubs and leagues.

    The chamber serves the function of resolving employment-related disputes between coaches and clubs or associations; transfer-related disputes between clubs, and regulatory applications related to the international transfer system as well as the eligibility of players to participate for representative teams. The chamber can adjudicate on these employment-related disputes if they are of an international dimension. The ‘international dimension’ concerns whether or not the coach is of a different nationality from the club or national association involved. 

    The parties can, however, opt for such disputes to be handled by an independent arbitration tribunal that has been established at national level within the framework of the association and/ or a collective bargaining agreement’. The independent national arbitration tribunal must guarantee fair proceedings. For this option, such an arbitration clause must be included in the employment contract or in the collective bargaining agreement applicable on the parties. 

    The DRC and the PSC are similar in that they both offer arbitration for international disputes between member associations, clubs and players. These disputes are predominantly regulated by the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players which provide guidance for the FIFA Football Tribunal Chambers in identifying and formulating the best possible resolution. However, The PSC may also handle disputes between clubs from different associations that cannot be adjudicated by the DRC.

    The Agents’ Chamber

    The AC is also composed of a chairperson and a deputy chairperson and the necessary number of members as decided by the FIFA Council. The chamber serves to offer arbitration and dispute resolution for international disputes involving football agents and intermediaries. The AC has jurisdiction under the FIFA Football Agent Regulations, article 20 over disputes arising out of, or in connection with, a Representation Agreement with an international dimension or where a claim is lodged in accordance with the Procedural Rules Governing the Football Tribunal. The chamber will only be able to address such disputes where no more than two years have elapsed from the event giving rise to the dispute; the application of this time limit shall be examined ex officio in each case.

    Other Points to Note

    FIFA has made a lot of additional changes to the arbitration process through the Procedural Rules. 

    Significantly, the costs of proceedings that pass through the FIFA Football Tribunal chambers are detailed in article 25 which states the following: 

    1. Procedures are free of charge where at least one of the parties is a player, coach, football agent, or match agent. 
    2. Procedural costs are payable in all other types of disputes. Procedural costs are payable on order by the relevant chamber, at the conclusion of a matter. The amounts are defined in Annexe 1 of these Rules.
    3. An advance of costs is payable for proceedings before the PSC, with the exception of proceedings relating to regulatory applications.
    4. Advance of costs shall be paid by the claimant or counter-claimant when the claim or counterclaim is lodged, and are defined in Annexe 1 of these Rules.
    5. The chamber will decide the amount that each party is due to pay, in consideration of the parties’ degree of success and their conduct during the procedure, as well as any advance of costs paid. In exceptional circumstances, the chamber may order that FIFA assumes all procedural costs.
    6. A party that has been ordered to pay procedural costs is only obliged to pay where: 
      1. It requests the grounds of the decision after having been notified of the operative part; or 
      2. The decision has been notified directly with grounds.
    7. Procedural costs shall be paid within ten days as from the notification of the relevant decision to the bank account provided in the decision. The relevant proof of payment shall be filed with the FIFA general secretariat within the same ten days.
    8. No legal costs shall be awarded. Parties shall bear all their own costs in connection with any procedure.

    The basic notion of article 19 of the Procedural Rules Governing the Football Tribunal outlines the preliminary procedural matters allowing for the FIFA General Secretariat to refer a case directly to the chairperson of the relevant chamber of the Football tribunal for an expedited decision. The three paragraphs contained within article 19 are as follows:

    1. The FIFA general secretariat, after assessing whether a claim is complete, will subsequently assess whether: 
      1. The relevant chamber obviously does not have jurisdiction; and/or
      2. The claim is obviously time-barred.
    2. Following this assessment, the FIFA general secretariat may refer the case directly to the chairperson of the relevant chamber of the FT for an expedited decision.
    3. If the chairperson of the relevant chamber of the FT considers that the claim is not affected by any preliminary procedural matters, they shall order the FIFA general secretariat to continue the procedure.

    Mediation is detailed in article 26 and has three main points:

    • If the chairperson of the Football tribunal considers it appropriate, they may invite the parties to mediate the dispute. This means that there is a possibility that if both parties come together and discuss collaboratively, there could be a compromise and resolution found without the need to escalate the case. 
    • The process of mediation is also voluntary and free of charge. 
    • If mediation is successful, a settlement agreement will be signed by the parties and ratified by the mediator and the chairperson of the respective chamber. The settlement agreement shall be considered a final and binding decision.

    One final point to note is that all decisions issued by the Football tribunal chambers; the DRC, PSC or AC can be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport known as CAS, in accordance with chapter 9 of the FIFA statutes. The appeal must be lodged with CAS within 21 days of receipt of the decision. CAS is only likely to become involved if the decision reached by the relevant chamber of the FIFA Football Tribunal is strongly disagreed with by one or more parties who believe that if they exercise their right to appeal the judgement, it may be amended or even reversed. However, the purpose of the FIFA Football Tribunal is to increase the efficiency of resolving disputes of such a nature and therefore, if it serves its purpose, CAS will not be necessary.

    Summary

    The FIFA Football Tribunal in its latest format seems to be able to sufficiently cover all manners of disputes and legal issues that may arise in football and between various parties and stakeholders within the game. The division of the Tribunal into separate chambers improves the focused structure on solving the relevant dispute between separate parties. It is important to understand the purpose that the FIFA Football Tribunal is there to serve and how it is designed to do so in the best possible way.

    Rückblick auf die erste FIFA Spielervermittler-Prüfung (April 2023)

    By
    Luis Kircher , Dr. Erkut Sogut
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    students passed out for fifa agent exam

    Die kürzlich wieder eingeführte FIFA Spielervermittler-Prüfung wurde am Mittwoch, dem 19. April, von rund 3.800 Personen aus 138 Ländern abgelegt. Viele dieser Personen waren bereits seit mehreren Jahren lizenzierte Berater. Doch die neuen Zulassungsvoraussetzungen erforderten das Bestehen der Prüfung, um weiterhin als Spielervermittler tätig sein zu können. Im Vorfeld der Prüfung gab es eine Menge Aufregung und Diskussionen über die Prüfung, die auch nach ihrem Abschluss noch andauern.

    Nachdem wir nun Zugang zu den weltweiten Prüfungsergebnissen haben und mit Spielervermittlern aus mehr als 30 Ländern gesprochen haben, nehmen wir in diesem Blog eine detaillierte Bewertung der ersten FIFA Spielervermittler-Prüfung vor. Wir werden den Aufbau der Prüfung analysieren, den Ablauf zusammenfassen und die Unterschiede zwischen den Nationalverbänden herausstellen. Abschließend werden wir uns auf die Ergebnisse der Kandidaten fokussieren und uns dabei sowohl auf verbesserungswürdige Bereiche als auch auf positive Ergebnisse konzentrieren.

    Struktur

    Die FIFA Spielervermittler-Prüfung umfasste eine Vielzahl von Themen aus den sechs grundlegenden FIFA-Dokumenten, darunter das FIFA Spielervermittler-Reglement (FFAR), das Reglement über den Status und Transfer von Spielern (RSTP), die FIFA-Statuten, den FIFA-Ethikkodex, das FIFA-Disziplinarreglement (FDC) und das FIFA Guardians Child Safeguarding Toolkit. Die Agenten wurden auf ihr Verständnis der 528 Seiten Material getestet, indem sie Multiple-Choice-Fragen auf ihren persönlichen digitalen Geräten beantworteten. 

    Berater aus einigen Ländern mit früheren Zeitzonen hatten die Prüfung vor den anderen abgeschlossen, und die Kommunikation zwischen den Beratern weltweit war üblich, um die Fragen und Antworten zu besprechen. Allerdings hatte die FIFA die Prüfung durch eine zufällige Auswahl von Fragen aus einem Pool von etwa 200 Fragen strukturiert, so dass es unwahrscheinlich war, dass zwei Teilnehmende dieselbe Prüfung absolvieren würden. Daher waren Ratschläge von Beratern, die die Prüfung bereits abgelegt hatten, wenig hilfreich. Die zufällige Kombination bedeutete, dass der ursprüngliche Vorschlag der FIFA, 70 % der Prüfung aus FFAR- und RSTP-Fragen zu stellen, nicht möglich war. Einige Kandidaten berichteten, dass sie in ihrer Prüfung bis zu vier Fragen zu ein und demselben Artikel hatten. 

    Mehrere Fragen wurden als losgelöst vom Reglement und den FIFA-Dokumenten kritisiert. Sie waren oft vage und prüften nicht die Eignung und das Wissen der Vermittler, wie es eigentlich vorgesehen war. Es wurde auch berichtet, dass die Fragen in einer anderen offiziellen FIFA-Sprache gestellt wurden, unabhängig davon, welche Sprache der Kandidat gewählt hatte. Die Prüfungsteilnehmenden hatten eine Stunde Zeit, um 20 Fragen zu beantworten, durften aber Fragen auslassen und diese später beantworten. 

    In einem Land wurde die Prüfungsseite jedoch automatisch nach drei Minuten geschlossen, obwohl die Aufsichtsperson noch sieben weiter Minuten zur Absolvierung der Prüfung ankündigte. Dies führte dazu, dass die Spielervermittler Fragen unbeantwortet ließen, woraufhin über die zuständigen nationalen Verbände Beschwerden bei der FIFA eingereicht wurden, mit der Bitte, den Betroffenen eine Wiederholung der Prüfung zu gestatten.

    Event 

    Die Prüfung wurde in verschiedenen Teilen der Welt unterschiedlich durchgeführt, und es gab gemischte Kritiken und Meinungen dazu. Vor der Prüfung gab es einige Stressfaktoren für die Kandidaten, darunter lange Verzögerungen bei der Beantwortung von E-Mails, Probleme mit den Zahlungsmodalitäten und mangelnde Kommunikation über die Prüfung. Die Kosten für die Prüfung waren sehr unterschiedlich: In einigen Ländern lagen sie bei 50 USD, in anderen bei über 1000 USD. 

    Am Tag der Prüfung kam es in einigen Ländern aus verschiedenen Gründen zu erheblichen Verzögerungen, z. B. beim Einchecken, bei Störungen der Wi-Fi-Verbindung und bei Problemen mit dem Prüfungssystem. Einige Kandidaten begannen die Prüfung aufgrund dieser Verzögerungen später als andere. Die Kandidaten mussten ihre eigenen Laptops mitbringen und durften nur eine durchsichtige Plastikwasserflasche und das FIFA-Studienmaterial ohne Notizen mitführen. Einige Kandidaten hielten sich jedoch nicht an diese Regeln und konnten während der Prüfung auf Social-Media-Plattformen und digitale Hilfsmittel zugreifen. In einigen Verbänden gab es Berichte über Absprachen und Zusammenarbeit zwischen Kandidaten, was gegen die FIFA-Regeln verstieß. Die Prüfung war nur in drei offiziellen FIFA-Sprachen verfügbar, was für die Kandidaten eine zusätzliche Hürde darstellte. 

    Auch nach dem Ende der Prüfung kam es zu Problemen, darunter die vorzeitige Abgabe einiger Kandidaten, wodurch die Prüfungsbedingungen für andere gestört wurden. Der Mangel an Kontrolle und Durchsetzung führte zu einem Ungleichgewicht und zu ungleichen Chancen für Spielervermittler, die Prüfung in verschiedenen Teilen der Welt zu bestehen. 

    Es ist zu hoffen, dass die FIFA dafür sorgt, dass alle nationalen Verbände angemessen über die durchsetzbaren Prüfungsbedingungen informiert werden und ein System zu deren angemessener Durchsetzung einführen. Andere Faktoren, wie z. B. zeitliche Zugeständnisse für Kandidaten, die Beihilfe für Behinderte benötigen, wurden von der FIFA und den nationalen Verbänden nicht berücksichtigt. Diese sollten bei künftigen Prüfungen berücksichtigt werden.

    Ergebnisse

    Nach der Prüfung schienen die Kandidaten die Prüfung als äußerst anspruchsvoll zu empfinden und waren der Meinung, dass einige der Fragen entweder nicht in den FIFA-Unterlagen erwähnt waren oder absichtlich so gestellt wurden, dass sie in die Irre geführt wurden. Eine von uns durchgeführte Umfrage ergab, dass von 120 Kandidaten 70 % die Prüfung als “schwierig” oder “sehr schwierig” empfanden, während nur 5 % sie als “leicht” empfanden.

    Eine der größten Schwierigkeiten, mit denen die Kandidaten konfrontiert waren, bestand darin, dass sie die Ergebnisse nicht sofort nach der Prüfung erfuhren. Viele Kandidaten verbrachten die Woche nach der Prüfung damit, über ihre Antworten nachzudenken und sich über eventuelle Fehler zu ärgern, die sie gemacht hatten. Da es sich bei der Prüfung um einen objektiven Multiple-Choice-Test handelt, der digital durchgeführt wird, hätten die Ergebnisse kurz nach oder innerhalb weniger Stunden nach Abschluss der Prüfung veröffentlicht werden können. 

    Am erwarteten Tag der Ergebnisbekanntgabe warteten viele Kandidaten gespannt auf ihre Ergebnisse am Mittwoch, genau eine Woche nach der Prüfung. Es gab jedoch Gerüchte, dass die Ergebnisse möglicherweise erst am Freitag bekannt gegeben würden, was zu einer gewissen Unsicherheit führte. Wie sich herausstellte, erhielten die Kandidaten bereits am Donnerstag E-Mails, in denen sie zum Bestehen der Prüfung beglückwünscht und aufgefordert wurden, die Gebühr für den Erhalt ihrer Lizenz zu entrichten. Allerdings wurde den Kandidaten nicht ihr genaues Prüfungsergebnis mitgeteilt, sondern nur, ob sie die Prüfung bestanden haben oder nicht.

    Vor 2015 lag die Erfolgsquote bei der Prüfung bei etwa 20 %, und man ging davon aus, dass dieses Mal ein ähnlicher Anteil der Kandidaten erfolgreich sein würde. Zur Überraschung aller erhielten 52% der 3.800 Personen, die an der Prüfung teilgenommen hatten, eine E-Mail mit der Bestätigung, dass sie bestanden hatten. Einige Kandidaten gaben an, dass sie beim Verlassen des Prüfungssaals sicher waren, mehr als fünf Fragen falsch beantwortet zu haben, und waren erstaunt, als sie sahen, dass sie bestanden hatten. Die FIFA hat sich nicht offiziell zur Bestehensgrenze geäußert, sondern lediglich die Anzahl der erfolgreichen Kandidaten bestätigt. Die Bestehensquote variierte von Verband zu Verband, was möglicherweise auf Sprach- und Übersetzungsschwierigkeiten zurückzuführen ist. In einem nicht englisch, französisch oder spanisch sprechenden Land haben zum Beispiel nur 13 von 120 Kandidaten die Prüfung bestanden.

    Summary

    Die große Resonanz von Spielerberatern aus aller Welt, die zu diesem Blog beigetragen haben, unterstreicht die Bedeutung des ersten Durchgangs der neuen FIFA Spielervermittler-Prüfung. Sowohl die Kandidaten als auch die lizenzierten Spielervermittler waren sehr daran interessiert, ihre Meinung zu äußern und ihre Prüfungserfahrungen zu teilen. Dieses Feedback hilft nicht nur, die nächste Gruppe von Kandidaten für die bevorstehende Prüfung im September zu schulen, sondern liefert auch wertvolle Informationen für die FIFA und die Nationalverbände, um die Fairness und Durchführung der Prüfung zu verbessern. 

    Wir gratulieren denjenigen, die die Prüfung bestanden haben. Diejenigen, die sie nicht bestanden haben, haben noch genügend Zeit, sich auf die nächste Prüfung im September vorzubereiten und erfolgreich zu sein. 

    Diejenigen, die bereits planen, die nächste Prüfung abzulegen, können sich auf den Social Media-Plattformen der Erkut Sogut Academy über weitere Einzelheiten zu den Prüfungsvorbereitungskursen informieren. Hier gelangen sie direkt zum nächsten deutschsprachigen Vorbereitungsseminar in Frankfurt am Main: https://www.eventbrite.de/e/spielerberater-seminar-vorbereitung-zur-spielervermittler-prufung-tickets-618375105587

    A Review of the First FIFA Football Agent Exam (April 2023): Reflecting on the Experiences, Outcomes and Preparing for the Next One…

    By
    Dr. Erkut Sogut , Jamie Khan
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    Introduction

    On Wednesday the 19th of April, around 3,800 individuals sat the newly reintroduced FIFA Football agent exam across 138 countries. Many of these individuals had already been working as licensed agents for a few years already but the new licensing requirements demand that they pass the exam in order to remain as an agent operating in the football world. There had been a great deal of anticipation and discussion towards the exam in the weeks leading up to it and beyond the conclusion of the exam, the discussions have continued.

    Now that we are aware of the global results of the exam and having spoken to agents who sat the exam in over 30 countries, this blog will compile a detailed review of the first FIFA Agent Exam sitting, from the areas for improvement to the positives. We will assess the structure of the actual exam, summarise the event and how it differed across national associations and finally, the results of the candidates taking the examination this time around.

    The Structure

    As expected, the majority of feedback we have received confirmed that the FIFA agent exam covered a range of topics taken from the six key FIFA documents; the FIFA Football Agent Regulations (FFAR); the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP); FIFA Statutes; FIFA Code of Ethics; FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC); and the FIFA Guardians Child Safeguarding Toolkit. In total, agents were assessed on their knowledge of the 528 pages of material and asked to answer multiple choice questions on their digital device that they must have provided themselves. 

    In some associations with advanced time zones, agents had completed the examination well in advance of other agents attempting the exam in other parts of the world. There was a great deal of communication between global agents, discussing the questions and answers and trying to obtain an advantageous insight into the contents of the exam. However, FIFA had structured the exam by collating a pool of around 200 questions which were then randomly selected in each paper. Consequently, the chances of an agent sitting the exact same examination as anybody else in the same room or those agents that had taken the exam earlier in the day, was extremely low. This meant that the advice given by agents who had already sat the exam for which topics to focus on for last minute revision, was null and void as the chances of the same difficult question appearing was unlikely. 

    Many have argued this is unfair as the knowledge required for different questions varied and hence, some agents sat ‘easier’ examinations than others. The final point on this is that the random combination meant that the original suggestion from FIFA that 70% of the exam would consist of FFAR and RSTP questions was not possible due to the randomisation of the question pool. Some candidates reported having up to four questions on the same article of the regulations in their exam. 

    Not only were the questions randomly selected, many who took the exam accused several questions raised as being detached from the regulations and FIFA documents and either called for speculation or subjective opinion, often not clearly defined and vague, far from testing the aptitude and knowledge of agents as it should have been designed to do. In extreme cases, candidates have reported that some questions were given in another official FIFA language regardless of the language they had selected to sit the examination in.

    Candidates had one hour to answer all 20 questions but were able to skip over questions and return to them if they felt unsure or to double check their answers if time allowed. However, in one country it was reported that the invigilator had told candidates they had 7 minutes left of the exam but the FIFA portal automatically closed the examination page after 3 minutes meaning many agents had left questions unanswered or hadn’t factored in enough checking time. There have been formal complaints made to FIFA via the relevant national association and there have been calls for the agents to be allowed to resit the exam.  

    The Event 

    There has been an incredibly broad spectrum of reviews and thoughts shared with us about how the exam was actually run in different parts of the world.

    To begin with, the build up to the exam in the weeks and days leading up to the 19th of April caused stress and complications for many hoping to take the exam. In some national associations there were reports of long delays in responses to emails, the distribution of the payment methods to take the exam and a lack of communication with candidates regarding details of the day and the exam. Many have admitted to arriving at their relevant examination venue not entirely certain that they would be permitted to take the exam as they had never received a payment receipt or any kind of confirmation that they were accepted as a candidate for the exam. 

    The payment itself caused debate amongst agents across the world. In some countries, the charge to take the exam was around $50 USD (there are reports it was free of charge in a small handful) whilst in others the cost was upwards of $1000 USD and higher than the minimum salary in the country. Clearly a standardised cost had not been stipulated by FIFA and national associations were able to arbitrarily set the charge however they saw fit, possibly financially benefiting themselves from doing so.

    If the build-up alone hadn’t created enough discussion and confusion, the day of the exam itself only exasperated the general feeling towards the exam. In many countries, large delays in the beginning of the exam were reported for a variety of reasons. Although in some associations there was less than a handful of agents that arrived to attempt the exam, in one country, there were almost 1000 candidates and hence the check-in process was incredibly long and queues lined up for a substantial distance, waiting to present a form of identification and proof of payment, which some had never received. Other reasons included Wifi connection failures, FIFA Platform crashes, invigilator confusion, and issues with a slow and faulty exam system. 

    In some countries, the exam itself didn’t begin until well over an hour after it was due to start and candidates were forced to sit and wait until they were told to begin. Some candidates eventually started later than others and were deprived of time at the end of the exam through no responsibility of their own. The platform can be improved to handle so many simultaneous logins which caused the crashes this time around. It was a common theme across many different national associations that many started significantly late. 

    According to FIFA guidelines, candidates were required to provide their own laptop in order to access the exam through the FIFA Agent Platform, and were allowed a clear plastic water bottle as well as the FIFA Study Materials without personal annotations. They would then be provided with pen and paper for mathematical calculations. However, our feedback has shown that these strict measures had not been properly communicated with many national associations and were not adequately enforced. In less severe cases, candidates took the exams through their iPads and tablets, simultaneously accessing social media platforms and communication methods such as Whatsapp should they so require. Many candidates also loaded the FIFA Study Materials digitally, facilitating the use of the ‘control + F’ function to quickly find relevant sections of the documents to answer a question. However, in one particular national association there was a problem with loading the study materials and only the first 40 pages appeared for candidates through the FIFA platform. There was then a delay as candidates had to reason with invigilators and determine whether it was acceptable to access the study materials through their own route.

    Unfortunately, the ability to evade FIFA’s exam conduct rules was even more severe in some associations. From the feedback we have received from candidates, there were many reports of collusion and collaboration between candidates. It seems there was a worrying lack of control in many national association examination rooms and FIFA rules were generally poorly enforced globally. In one particularly extraordinary case we were informed of, a candidate was seated next to the in-house lawyer of their agency who reportedly used his log in details and passed the exam on behalf of the prospective agent. 

    One of the biggest concerns with the new FIFA agent exam for many across the world is that they could only choose to sit the exam in three official FIFA languages; English, French and Spanish. For a large portion of candidates, this was their second or even third language and created an additional dimension of difficulty, especially under time pressure. Feedback from some Arabic and German agents particularly highlighted this issue. However, we have been informed that in some countries, the invigilators permitted candidates to use digital translation tools to translate the questions into their preferred language. This not only goes against the FIFA policy for the exam but also puts these candidates at an advantage over other agents who could not translate the questions and were forced to tackle them in an unfamiliar language. Some candidates have already lodged formal complaints about this to FIFA.

    In many countries there was also chaos following the end of the exam process which created further difficulties. The FIFA portal shut automatically after the 60 minutes had expired but many candidates who finished prematurely were able to freely get up, chatter and wander away from the examination room whilst others continued to take the exam. This created inappropriate exam conditions for those trying to complete the examination and has led to further complaints. 

    The lack of control created an imbalance and inequality of opportunity for agents to pass the exam in different parts of the world. Those that were not able to sidestep strict regulations are automatically disadvantaged against others in different associations that had access to social media platforms, digital help and could collaborate with other candidates. The hope is that for the exam in September, FIFA will ensure that every national association is adequately informed of the enforceable examination conditions and a system is implemented to appropriately enforce them. 

    Other factors had not been considered by FIFA nor the national associations that should be accounted for in examinations going forward. For example, time concessions for candidates that require disability allowances were not made and we had several reports that those that contacted their national association enquiring about the possibility were either ignored or rejected. Disabilities such as dyslexia, ADHD and more cause candidates to have slower processing speeds and difficulties in answering questions in a high-pressured and distracting environment within such a short time frame. In most examination scenarios, these candidates are granted additional time or other measures to appease the difficulties but this was not the case in the first FIFA Agent Exam.

    The Results

    The general feeling in the immediate aftermath of the exam was that candidates had found it particularly difficult and felt like some of the questions either weren’t contained in the FIFA documents or were designed to catch people out and cause them to fail. In our poll we found that out of 120 candidates, 70% found the exam either ‘challenging’ or ‘very difficult’ whilst only 5% voted that they had found the exam ‘easy’. 

    One of the most difficult things for candidates that have been reported to us is the mental anguish of not immediately knowing the results. Many spent the week following the exam contemplating their answers and overthinking any mistakes they may have made. There is an argument that perhaps as it is an objective multiple choice examination sat digitally, the results could be released immediately following or within a few hours of completing the exam. However, this is an issue that needs to be thoroughly strategised to avoid creating any unwanted problems.

    Despite many eagerly awaiting their results on the Wednesday, exactly a week after the exam as expected, there was discussion that instead it was 7 working days and the results may be released on Friday. As it turned out, it was Thursday that candidates across the world began to receive intermittent emails congratulating them on passing the exam and inviting them to complete the final stage of obtaining their licence; paying the fee! Significantly, candidates were not given details on their exact score on the exam; it was simply a pass or a rejection. 

    Prior to 2015, the pass rate for the exam had stood at around 20% and it was expected that a similar proportion would be successful this time around. To the surprise of many, 52% of the 3,800 individuals (1962) that sat the exam received emails confirming they had passed the exam. Several gave us feedback stating that as they left the exam hall they were adamant they had answered more than 5 questions incorrectly and so were shocked to see they had passed. The only official statement following the exam results given by FIFA is to confirm the number of candidates that passed. No comment has yet been made as to whether the pass mark was set at 15 as previously stated. The pass rate saw varying numbers in different associations, possibly caused by the difficulties in language and translation. For example, in one non-English, French or Spanish speaking country, only 13 out of 120 candidates successfully passed the exam.

    Summary

    The volume of feedback and thoughts that we received from agents across the world in contributing to this blog indicates the significance of the first sitting of the new FIFA Football Agent exam. Candidates, and now licensed agents, felt appropriately passionately about expressing their opinions and sharing their experiences of the exam. Not only has this information helped in educating the next cohort of candidates that may look to sit the exam in September, but also informs FIFA and National Associations the areas for improvement for next time and how to deliver the best possible and fairest exam for agents to prove themselves and obtain their licence. 

    Congratulations to all who were successful in their attempt of the exam this time around and to those that did not pass, there is no need to be concerned, there is sufficient time to prepare for September and pass at the next attempt. 

    For those already planning to sit the next exam in September, keep an eye on the Erkut Sogut Academy social media platforms for more information on exam preparation courses.

    Further Reading:

    Blog: The New FIFA Agent Exam

    Book: How to Become a Football Agent (3rd Edition)

    Youtube: The World of Football Explained

    The Essential Work of a Modern Football/Soccer Agent

    By
    Dr. Erkut Sogut , Jamie Khan
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    Introduction

    In previous blogs within these series we have discussed the nature of the football agency profession as one that is ever-evolving along with the modernisation of the game of football. The roles and responsibilities of an agent are very different to what it was when the very first agents existed. It is fascinating to consider the different extensive skill-sets and traits that an agent must possess to succeed in the modern football world. In this blog we will do exactly that, outlining what we perceive to be the most important attributes for an agent to succeed in the current business and sporting landscape of the beautiful game.

    Networking

    The ability to network well is an integral facet of being a football agent that has withstood the test of time. Ever since the profession began, the role of the agent is to connect their client with attractive opportunities. This means that talking to others in the industry, building relationships with them and finding opportunities through them has always been a demand of an agent.

    For an agent to be good at networking they need to be personable individuals who know where and how to connect with people that can be helpful in finding the right move or opportunity for their clients. Establishing a relationship is difficult but the hardest part of networking for the modern agent to master is maintaining and utilising these relationships to improve the services they are able to provide to their clients. This is something that an agent can develop over time and with experience and those that are best at networking will stand themselves in good stead to be a successful agent.

    Whilst the concept of networking has remained an unmoved necessity for football agents, the actual art of networking and the techniques employed by the agents has evolved with the times. For example, in the early days of the agency profession, landline phone calls and faxes would have been the most digital method of connecting and communicating with people from afar. The majority of networking was done in person and in face-to-face meetings. In many ways this was easier for agents to present themselves in person and develop a rapport with others. 

    In the modern football landscape, this is dramatically different. The majority of agents will first connect with other coaches, club directors, owners, scouts and other agents digitally, on platforms such as LinkedIn and football forums. Phone calls and Zoom meetings are commonplace in all professions in the modern technological era and this is also the case for football agents. It provides a more convenient and efficient way of contacting others anywhere in the world and expanding your network. However, it is well-known that judging characters and building a strong and sustainable relationship online is more difficult and challenging than an in-person friendship and professional working relationship.

    If you are interested in the skills of how to network and different techniques you can use, we would recommend reading chapter 6 of How to Become a Football Agent: 3rd Edition. 

    Negotiation Skills

    The art of negotiation is widely documented and extensively researched for all walks of life. It is said that in any of our day-to-day activities we will negotiate in some form or another; either with ourselves or others; consciously or subconsciously.

    For agents, negotiation lies at the heart of what we do; finding the best opportunities for clients and ensuring they receive the best possible deal for taking the opportunity. Agents must go into any meeting in the knowledge of the true value of their client and will deploy their negotiation skills to produce the most favourable outcome. To put it simply, the better an agent is at negotiating, the better the service they can provide to their clients. 

    There are a variety of books, resources and other materials available worldwide which go into extreme depth on the art of negotiation. It can involve different approaches, methods and techniques depending on the circumstances of the situation and with whom one is negotiating. In chapter 17 of How to Become a Football Agent: 3rd Edition, we aimed to analyse the key points of how to negotiate as a football agent and the skills that are applicable and most successful specifically in the football context. 

    A summary of our 7 key negotiation points in football which an agent needs to know and implement as part of their essential toolkit is as follows:

    1. Behave professionally at all times: To be successful in the long-term as an agent you cannot let the intensity and conflict of one difficult negotiation force you into portraying a bad reflection of yourself and your character. This could make future deals and negotiations more difficult. Always remain patient, be polite and well-mannered, conduct yourself appropriately, listen to the opposing party and demonstrate you understand their perspective, do not make unfair demands and overall, give a good account of yourself. 
    2. The BATNA concept: Always have a ‘Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement’. In other words, as the agent you should always prepare other options or a ‘plan B’ for your client. Having alternative possibilities for your client has several benefits for your negotiation position such as leveraging your ability to negotiate more favourable terms. 
    3. Getting to “YES”: The four basic principles of the ‘Harvard Concept’ of getting to yes are:
      • Separate the person, the feeling and the problem. 
      • Don’t become narrowly focused upon the position of the other side that they speak about externally. 
      • Behave cooperatively. 
      • Establish mutually accepted standards for evaluating possible solutions. 
    4. Prepare: If an agent’s preparatory work is sound and sufficient, it is likely that you will be in a far better position to effectively negotiate, especially if you reinforce your negotiation with numbers, statistics and relevant data. 
    5. The importance of time limits: Deploying time limits can be very useful for your position in a negotiation. Although this can be an advantage, a disadvantage and a risk. Part of negotiating for agents is to find a way of respectfully and appropriately ‘playing with time’ to receive other offers or enhanced offers. 
    6. Setting an anchor: If an agent and their client are clear on their own position they can be stated from the outset to create an anchor. This can increase the efficiency of a football contract negotiation.
    7. Appropriate timing: Knowing when to ask for certain things is something that an agent needs to learn the art of. 

    Personal Branding and Marketing

    Gone are the days when the top professional footballers were simply just elite high-performing athletes. They are now celebrities, household names in some cases and their personal lives are documented as well as public scrutiny over their on-field performances. Agents now must include at least a foundational knowledge of personal branding and marketing to be able to promote their clients positively in the public spotlight. Avoiding issues is one thing but the status of modern football players can also open up new opportunities for agents to prove their worth and benefit their clients.

    The modern football agent will now be charged with the task of seeking off-field endorsements and commercial sponsorships for their clients with anything from car and watch brands to shampoo and food or beverage companies. The popularity of the players means that large corporations are interested in utilising them as ambassadors. Agents need to understand how they can most appropriately and effectively build a personal brand around their clients which will lead them to creating more off-field opportunities and generate new sources of income. 

    You can read more details in chapters 23 and 24 of How to Become a Football Agent: 3rd Edition. 

    Languages

    The official languages of FIFA are English, Spanish and French. The FIFA agent exam is only given in these three languages and hence, needless to say, an agent must possess one of these languages in order to obtain their agency licence in the first place. However, the importance of languages and a multilingual skill-set is not confined to just helping an agent pass the exam. The reality is that being able to speak two or more languages immediately expands the network which is accessible to an agent. It becomes far easier to connect and build a relationship and effective rapport with another person in a different part of the world if you are able to speak the same language as them. The likelihood is that if you learn and know their language, you will also be exposed to the different cultures and lifestyles which will help you to relate to them on a deeper level.

    In recruitment this is also the case. If an agent can only speak English then they are unlikely to be able to sign any Spanish-speaking players for example. Learning languages can never be a disadvantage, the more fluent an agent is in any language, the wider their pool of potential clients and useful contacts becomes. It is strongly recommended that an agent uses a language learning platform daily if possible to continually upskill themselves and their ability to network and communicate with others in the football world. 

    Following the Market

    Warren Buffett is world-renowned for the emphasis he places on reading and being knowledgeable about your area of expertise and beyond. This is a very applicable habit for a modern football agent. The world of football is constantly evolving and changing and hence, an agent needs to keep up to speed with everything that is going on as it has a direct effect upon their business. Subscribing to high-quality football news platforms and other resources and taking time to read key articles on a daily basis needs to become a part of the routine of a modern agent.

    Agents need to have an in-depth understanding of how clubs function, their transfer strategies and their key interests for example. This spans from knowing the ownership of the club and their approach to recruitment and financial circumstances, to the current squad at a club and which areas they may look to reinforce or have players with soon-expiring contracts. 

    This kind of knowledge is also particularly relevant in the new age of agents representing clubs and coaches. Finding the best and most well-suited opportunities for coaches relies upon agents understanding the market and identifying a club system which would benefit the approach of the coach. Furthermore, if representing a club, the agent must have comprehensive knowledge of the kind of players the club is looking for, whether for a buy or for a loan and the region for salary and transfer fees that they are able to give.

    Scouting

    An agent would be nothing without their clients. For example, possessing things such as a knowledge of personal branding and marketing is pointless unless the agent is able to recruit a client which has the success to make off-field sponsorship opportunities a possibility for them. This is why agents still need to have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the game of football and must have an eye for talent. 

    Recruitment is absolutely imperative to the profession and by scouting at youth academy games and other fixtures, agents should have the necessary skills to be able to identify possible recruitment targets that could go on to have success in the game and be an exciting client to work with. In-depth scouting should not be underestimated and is a difficult skill in itself; many agencies employ scouts for this specific purpose but we feel it remains an important part of an agent’s toolkit in modern football, at least on a surface level. 

    The art of scouting is outlined in chapter 10 of How to Become a Football Agent: 3rd Edition if you would be interested in finding out more. 

    Digital Nous

    In light of the previous section on scouting, the modern football agent seems to be using digital scouting techniques and tools more and more frequently. The number of platforms available is ever-increasing in the modern football landscape and databases such as Transfermarkt, Wyscout, Instat and Comparisonator facilitate an agent to scout players from all over the world from their lap. If an agent has a strong digital understanding, they will be able to utilise these platforms and maximise the benefits from using them in identifying talent almost anywhere in global football. 

    Agents can now also use their own personal online presence to promote their services. Creating a professional and comprehensive website and social media pages can demonstrate the reputation and services of an agency to clients, potential recruitment targets, other agents and football professionals. The digital world and a nous for how to best utilise it can be an advantage for a modern agent to possess as part of their toolkit for being successful in the industry. 

    Summary

    The first thing to note is that this is not an exhaustive list of all the necessary components and attributes for an agent to possess in the modern football world. However, what we can see is that a diverse and varied set of skills can help an agent provide a better service to their clients and many factors can contribute to the opportunities which the agent will be able to find for them. Fundamentally, continued education and upskilling is the most advisable activity for an agent; whether in media, marketing, business or scouting, learning different facets of the modern football game will further completion of the ultimate football agent toolkit.

    Further Reading

    How to Become a Football Agent: 3rd Edition

    Youtube videos:

    Blogs:

    La nuova normativa FIFA sugli agenti

    By
    Marco Tieghi , Dr. Erkut Sogut
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    Introduzione

    Dopo anni di dibattiti e discussioni intervenuti tra la FIFA e gli altri organi di governo del calcio a partire dalla deregolamentazione del 2015, è iniziata una nuova era per l’attività degli agenti di calcio. Il 9 gennaio 2023 ha infatti segnato il primo giorno in cui è entrato in vigore il relativo nuovo regolamento FIFA (“FFAR”). I punti principali della nuova normativa riguardano soprattutto il tetto alle commissioni, un nuovo sistema centralizzato FIFA per la gestione dei pagamenti (“Clearing House”), il divieto di rappresentanza multipla ed un sistema di licenze aggiornato, che include l’obbligo di superare un esame ideato e gestito a livello internazionale dalla FIFA stessa.

    In questo articolo, forniremo una guida completa e chiara su tutto ciò di cui un agente debba essere a conoscenza in relazione all’introduzione del FFAR. È assolutamente indispensabile che gli agenti che sono già nel settore e -allo stesso tempo- coloro che desiderino farne parte abbiano una piena comprensione di tutte le implicazioni che la nuova normativa avrà per loro e di come aderirvi, al fine evitare implicazioni legali e altri problemi per il prosieguo della loro carriera.

    Licenza ed esame

    In base al nuovo FFAR, ci sono diversi passaggi che devono essere adeguatamente completati, affinché un candidato possa ottenere la nuova licenza per operare come agente. Questi sono i passaggi fondamentali:

    • Rispettare i criteri di ammissibilità

    Il candidato che fa richiesta della licenza deve innanzitutto completare una domanda tramite la piattaforma online della FIFA. Sono previsti specifici requisiti di ammissibilità che un candidato deve soddisfare, tra cui l’assenza di determinati precedenti penali e altri criteri individuali (cd. “proper persons test“).

    NOTA: Tali requisiti devono essere mantenuti durante l’intero periodo in cui l’individuo opererà come agente. In caso contrario, la licenza da agente verrà revocata.

    Tali requisiti di ammissibilità sono elencati qui di seguito:

    • Nessuna dichiarazione falsa o fuorviante contenuta all’interno della domanda del candidato.
    • Assenza di accuse penali e relative condanne.
    • Il candidato non deve essere destinatario di un ordine di sospensione, squalifica o cancellazione da parte di un organo di governo sportivo o di altra autorità regolatoria.
    • Assenza di violazioni accertate per il mancato rispetto delle norme etiche e relative alla condotta professionale.
    • Il candidato non deve essere un funzionario o un dipendente della FIFA, di una confederazione, di una federazione nazionale, di una lega, di un club o di un qualsiasi altro organismo che rappresenti gli interessi dei club (l’unica eccezione a questo divieto è prevista laddove un richiedente sia stato nominato o eletto all’interno di un organo di una di queste entità in qualità di rappresentante degli interessi degli agenti).
    • Non deve avere alcun interesse in un club, un’accademia o una lega.
    • Non deve aver svolto i servizi di un agente di calcio senza licenza prima di presentare la domanda.
    • Non deve mai essere stato oggetto di un procedimento di insolvenza finanziaria o essere stato azionista di maggioranza in un’azienda che ha dichiarato fallimento, è entrata in amministrazione controllata o è stata sottoposta a liquidazione.
    • Non deve aver fatto parte di una società o organizzazione che gestisce scommesse sportive nell’anno precedente la presentazione della domanda.

    Il rispetto di questi requisiti sarà verificato dalla FIFA stessa.

    • Superare l’esame

    Il FFAR prevede che coloro che intendano ottenere una licenza debbano superare un esame di nuova introduzione. Tale esame sarà a “libro aperto” e verrà predisposto nelle tre principali lingue della FIFA, ovvero inglese, spagnolo e francese. Le principali caratteristiche sono riassunte qui di seguito:

    • I candidati giudicati idonei -in base ai criteri di ammissibilità di cui sopra- saranno invitati a sostenere l’esame nella sede assegnata dalla loro Federazione Nazionale.
    • I candidati potrebbero dover pagare una tassa per sostenere l’esame.
    • La FIFA stabilirà le date e la frequenza degli esami per i candidati. Al momento, sono previste due sessioni all’anno, indicativamente a marzo e settembre. Il primo esame si è svolto lo scorso 19 aprile (la scadenza per presentare la relativa domanda era fissata per il 15 marzo).
    • L’esame consiste in 20 domande a scelta multipla a cui rispondere in 60 minuti (3 minuti per domanda).  Ai candidati sarà richiesto di considerare diversi scenari e casi di studio, tenendo presente che vi potranno essere anche più di una domanda corretta per quesito. Il punteggio minimo deve essere il 75%.
    • Le domande si basano solo sulla legislazione della FIFA piuttosto che sulle specifiche leggi delle associazioni nazionali. I sei documenti chiave che verranno trattati sono i seguenti:
    • Normativa sugli agenti: si tratta innanzitutto del nuovo FFAR, nonché di tutte le norme che sono ancora rilevanti e applicabili in materia di agenti. Tale normativa copra ogni aspetto, dai contratti di rappresentanza, alla gestione dei giovani giocatori, al diritto di esclusiva. È previsto che 8 delle 20 domande totali siano basate su questa normativa.
    • Regolamentazione dello status e del trasferimento dei giocatori (“RSTP”): questo è il documento FIFA più importante, che si disciplina la registrazione dei giocatori, le tematiche contrattuali, i diritti economici, l’influenza di parti terze e la giurisdizione applicabile (6 delle 20 domandi totali si baseranno invece su tale normativa).
    • Statuto FIFA: contiene le norme e i regolamenti generali relativi al funzionamento della FIFA.
    • Codice etico FIFA: delinea le regole di condotta all’interno del sistema calcio, nonché le sanzioni e le misure disciplinari che possono derivarne in caso di violazione. Comprende anche le procedure ed i metodi di risoluzione delle controversie.
    • Codice disciplinare FIFA: consiste in un’ampia ed articolata normativa riguardante varie sanzioni disciplinari ed infrazioni, dal doping, alla lotta alla contraffazione e alla corruzione. Sono disciplinati, inoltre, i vari organismi ed organizzazioni coinvolti nelle procedure sanzionatorie.
    • “Guardians – Child Safeguarding Toolkit” FIFA: si riferisce ad un gruppo di norme relative alla protezione dei giocatori minorenni.

    Nota: gli agenti che hanno superato l’esame precedente, così come previsto prima della deregolamentazione del 2015, non sono tenuti a sostenere il nuovo esame, ma dovranno comunque soddisfare i requisiti formativi annuali di aggiornamento professionale definiti dalla FIFA. Gli agenti che hanno ottenuto la licenza dopo il 2015 e che desiderino continuare ad operare, avranno tempo fino al 1 ottobre 2023 per superare tale esame ed aderire al nuovo sistema di licenze.

    • Versare la tassa di iscrizione

    Come principio generale, tale quota dovrà essere versata direttamente alla FIFA (pertanto, anche l’importo viene standardizzato e fissato universalmente). Il mancato pagamento annuale di tale quota comporterà la cancellazione dello status di agente e della relativa licenza.

    • Ottenere la licenza

    La licenza garantisce la possibilità di svolgere i servizi di agente di calciatori. Questa rimarrà valida fintanto che saranno soddisfatti i criteri di ammissibilità e venga effettuato il versamento delle tasse annuali. Inoltre, la FIFA ha introdotto un sistema di formazione per lo sviluppo professionale continuo (“CPD”), che richiede all’agente di dimostrare annualmente il mantenimento ed aggiornamento del proprio livello di conoscenza delle normative indispensabili per continuare a possedere una licenza valida.

    Nota: i processi sopra elencati per ottenere la nuova licenza sono entrati in vigore lo scorso 9 gennaio. Tuttavia, la FIFA ha introdotto un “periodo di transizione” per gli agenti che abbiano già una licenza secondo il precedente sistema. Ciò fornisce una finestra temporale fino all’1 ottobre 2023. Da quella data sarà obbligatorio che tutti gli agenti utilizzati in una transazione siano autorizzati ai sensi del nuovo FFAR, ivi incluso il limite alle commissioni (come spiegato nella sezione successiva).

    Tetto alle commissioni e Camera di compensazione (“Clearing House”) FIFA

    Come parte del nuovo regolamento, sono stati introdotti dei limiti alle commissioni, con l’obiettivo dichiarato -da parte della FIFA- di mantenere quanti più soldi possibili all’interno del sistema calcio. Le nuove restrizioni sulle commissioni relativa ad una singola transazione sono le seguenti:

    Fonte: FIFA Football Agent Regulations

    Riassumendo, dunque, la tabella:

    • Per “individual” si intende l’agente che agisce per conto del giocatore come cliente (l’“individual” appunto). Se la remunerazione annuale del giocatore è superiore a $ 200.000 lordi (o lo stesso importo in un’altra valuta), l’agente ha diritto massimo al 3% di questa cifra. Se è inferiore a $ 200.000 lordi, l’agente ha diritto al massimo al 5%.
    • L’“Engaiging entity” significa semplicemente il “club acquirente”. Se lo stipendio annuo del giocatore è superiore a $ 200.000 lordi, l’agente ha diritto alla massimo al 3% di questa cifra dal club acquirente; o al massimo il 5% se è inferiore a $ 200.000 lordi.
    • Previo consenso scritto di ciascuna delle parti, se l’agente rappresenta sia il giocatore che la società acquirente in una operazione (unica forma consentita di rappresentanza multipla, come meglio approfondito al successivo paragrafo) la percentuale relativa alla commissione viene raddoppiata. Se il giocatore guadagna meno di $ 200.000 lordi all’anno, l’agente ha diritto fino al 10% di tale importo (ovvero, il 5% dal giocatore e il 5% dal club). Se lo stipendio è superiore a $ 200.000 lordi, l’agente ha diritto fino al 6% (ovvero, 3% dal club acquirente, 3% dal giocatore).
    • Infine, se l’agente rappresenta il club cedente (“Releasing entity”) come suo cliente, avrà diritto fino al 10% del corrispettivo pagato per il trasferimento, indipendentemente dalla remunerazione prevista per il calciatore.

    Nota: se ci sono più agenti coinvolti nella prestazione del medesimo servizio, i massimali di cui sopra si applicheranno al totalità delle commissioni previste per l’operazione.

    Oltre all’implementazione dei massimali per le commissioni, la FIFA ha sviluppato ed istituito una Camera di compensazione (“Clearing House”) centralizzata, con l’obiettivo di raggiungere una maggiore trasparenza finanziaria per le operazioni internazionali. È stato dunque previsto che tutte le transazioni relative al trasferimento di calciatori siano processate e documentate attraverso tale Camera di compensazione unica ed universale. Pertanto, anche le commissioni previste per gli agenti saranno pagate direttamente in questo modo.

    Rappresentanza multipla

    Parte del FFAR affronta anche il tema della rappresentanza multipla e mira a disciplinare le questioni relative al potenziale conflitto di interessi tra le parti, oltre ad altre tematiche che sono emerse nella prassi. Le modifiche apportate dalla FIFA sono le seguenti:

    • Un agente può svolgere i propri servizi per conto soltanto di una parte. C’è solo UNA eccezione a questa regola, come qui di seguito precisata.
    • L’agente può agire legalmente per conto del singolo giocatore e del club acquirente SOLO se sono soddisfatti i seguenti criteri:
    • Entrambe le parti sono rese consapevoli del conflitto di interessi che ne deriverà.
    • I dettagli di entrambi i contratti, inclusa la remunerazione, sono resi noti integralmente a ciascuna parte.
    • Entrambe le parti hanno il diritto di chiedere una consulenza legale indipendente in materia.
    • Ciò significa che l’agente non può più rappresentare contemporaneamente il club acquirente e il club venditore; né il club venditore e il giocatore; né TUTTE LE TRE PARTI.
    • Il calciatore deve avere un contratto di rappresentanza preesistente con l’agente depositato presso la Federazione Nazionale.

    Innanzitutto, lo scopo principale della nuova normativa introdotta dalla FIFA è quello di prevenire i casi in cui l’agente sia in grado di rappresentare tutte e tre le parti coinvolte in una operazione. La FIFA ha suggerito questi cambiamenti con il proposito dichiarato di portare benefici all’industria del calcio ed aumentare la trasparenza nel mercato. Invece di fare affidamento sulle singole Federazioni Nazionali affinché fossero gestite le criticità emerse sulla rappresentanza congiunta, la FIFA ha deciso di uniformare la normativa per creare un sistema unitario. I nuovi regolamenti prevedono sanzioni in caso di violazione anche nel caso di condotte sleali o illecite da parte degli agenti.

    Nota: le sanzioni includono la perdita del diritto alla remunerazione per l’agente da parte delle parti interessate e potenzialmente anche la revoca della licenza.

    Ulteriori regole da conoscere

    Qui di seguito alcune norme significative del FFAR molto importanti e da tener presente:

    • Le federazioni calcistiche nazionali avranno tempo fino al 30 settembre 2023 per implementare ed adottare i propri nuovi regolamenti nazionali sugli agenti. Ciò perché il FFAR ai applica direttamente alle sole operazioni avente natura “internazionale” (ovvero con il coinvolgimento di più di una Federazione nazionale). La FIFA potrà richiedere che tali norme domestiche vengano sottoposte ad una preliminare revisione prima della loro approvazione, per assicurarsi che aderiscano ai principi cogenti contenuti nel FFAR.
    • I servizi di agente possono essere forniti solo in favore di un cliente che abbia stipulato un contratto di rappresentanza scritto.
    • Un contratto di rappresentanza è limitato ad una durata massima di 2 anni. Sono vietate le clausole di rinnovo automatico.
    • L’approccio di un agente verso un calciatore minorenne può essere effettuato soltanto non prima dei sei mesi antecedenti al compimento dell’età in cui questo può firmare il suo primo contratto professionistico (e purché sia ​​stato ottenuto il previo consenso scritto del tutore legale).
    • Un agente non può rivolgersi ad un potenziale cliente che sia già vincolato da un accordo di rappresentanza in esclusiva con un altro agente prima degli ultimi due mesi di validità di tale contratto in essere.
    • La commissione disciplinare e il comitato etico della FIFA sono responsabili dell’imposizione di sanzioni per eventuali violazioni dei regolamenti.

    Che cosa succederà in Italia?

    In Italia è bene ricordare che -a partire dal 2018- è stato introdotto per la prima volta dal Legislatore statale un sistema nazionale di licenze per tutti gli agenti sportivi (non soltanto quindi legati all’attività calcistica), attraverso l’introduzione di un apposito registro tenuto dal CONI ed un esame di abilitazione (mediante il superamento di alcune prove scritte ed orale).

    Il FFAR ha tenuto espressamente conto di quei paesi in cui sia previsto un meccanismo statale del genere (così come anche in Francia), stabilendo che NON debbano sostenere il nuovo esame FIFA tutti quegli agenti già regolarmente iscritti al proprio Registro statale nazionale (all’esisto del superamento della relativa prova domestica). Il FFAR prevede per questa categoria di agenti soltanto un obbligo di aggiornamento professionale costante, così come per tutti gli agenti a livello internazionale che abbiano ottenuto una licenza prima della deregolamentazione del 2015 (esentati anch’essi dal nuovo esame FIFA, come visto nei precedenti paragrafi).

    Entro il 30 settembre 2023, in concomitanza come detto con la definitiva entrata in vigore del FFAR a livello internazionale, è attesa in Italia l’adozione dell’ultimo decreto attuativo del decreto legislativo (n.37/2021) in materia di agenti sportivi. In tale contesto, la FIFA e la FIGC dovranno dunque dialogare insieme con il governo italiano, affinché venga trovata una soluzione di intesa sul recepimento della nuova normativa FFAR nel rispetto dei principi nazionali cogenti (in materia soprattutto di tetto alle commissioni e riconoscimento dell’esame FIFA).

    Confidiamo di aver fornito un riepilogo utile per tutti coloro che siano interessati a conoscere ed approfondire il nuovo regolamento FIFA sugli agenti entrato in vigore lo scorso 9 gennaio. Qui di seguito ulteriori letture di interesse (in inglese):

    • FIFA FOOTBALL AGENT REGULATIONS
    • Implementation
    • WATCH: The New Agent Regulations Explained
    • Capping Commissions (July 2021)
    • Multiple Representation (July 2021)
    • The Exam (July 2021)

    The Debate Over Banning Betting Companies Sponsoring Football

    By
    Dr. Erkut Sogut , Jamie Khan
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    Introduction

    The widespread and entrenched involvement of betting companies in modern football has been a longstanding underlying debate simmering beneath the global game. Since the turn of the millennium, it has been commonplace for the majority of clubs to have betting partners in some capacity from stadium advertising boards to front-of-shirt sponsorships.

    In more recent times, there has been a shift in the attitudes towards this reality and well-supported calls for restrictions and bans upon such open and uncensored exposure for gambling. There are huge financial implications behind such a decision to ban this sponsorship sector and many other factors to be considered. In this blog, we will first look at how the bans have been implemented and materialised in countries that have already taken action before exploring how other national associations and governments are set to follow suit. 

    The Example Set by Spain and Italy

    Back in 2018, 15 Serie A clubs had sponsorship deals with betting companies, the largest being Roma’s €15million annual income from Betway. Then from 2019, the Italian government intervened and introduced a complete ban on any betting company partnerships in professional football in the country. This was met with large appeals from the Italian Football Federation (IFF) during the COVID-19 pandemic as the impact of the estimated €100m loss was felt even harder by clubs in an already financially difficult time. This appeal was overruled by the government and ever since, sponsorship agreements with gambling companies have ceased to exist in the Italian football landscape.

    Following the example set in Italy, La Liga also introduced a similar ban for the 2021-22 season. The decision to implement the ban was made very late on, with little time before the commencement of the season and ultimately, eight clubs began the campaign without a primary sponsor. This cost clubs a cumulative total of around €90million.

    As the ban has materialised, inevitably, clubs and stakeholders have found various methods of exploiting loopholes in the bans placed upon betting company partnerships. One way in which this has been seen, particularly in Italy, is by the broadcasters. When Serie A games are shown abroad, the broadcasting companies have devised the technology to superimpose imagery of advertising boards for the betting companies and have maintained their ability to partner with them. Additionally, by technicality clubs can also still enter into ‘international’ partnerships with betting companies so long as the obligations of the partnerships are not performed within the jurisdiction affected by the ban. For example, Real Madrid have established lucrative sponsorship deals with large gambling brands based in Asia, Africa and Latin America. So long as these are not advertised and promoted in Spain, this abides by the laws surrounding sponsorship deals with betting companies. Hence, the so-called ‘blanket ban’ has been manipulated to still facilitate for some extent of sponsorship and has not completely eradicated the involvement of gambling brands in football in these regions.

    Elsewhere, the Belgian government has finalised their own plans to replicate the ban beginning in 2025 and, as we will discuss in the next section, the English Premier League is working with the British government around implementing a compromised but meaningful ban as well. On the other hand, betting sponsorships remain undisturbed and unthreatened in France and the Netherlands. The French FA itself has a 5-year deal with Betclic whilst the Dutch football association has suggested that gambling partnerships are far too valuable to dispense of, generating a revenue of between €40-70million for clubs such as Fortuna Sittard annually.

    Why Change?

    To keep this section short, there are several key motives behind restricting or banning gambling partnerships in football but they all revolve around the dangers posed by increased exposure to sports betting and casinos. Gambling addiction is a worldwide problem and it can ruin the lives of any individual. The issue therefore is that football should not be seen as promoting an unethical and immoral product that has such negative connotations. Particularly as football is viewed by so many minors, an unavoidable exposure to gambling promotions harms the image of the beautiful game as beneficial for society and humanity.

    The UK

    The dangers and criticism of gambling is not an unfamiliar phenomenon for the British government. It is estimated that 9% of the UK population participate in sports betting and gambling addiction has been a significant problem with around 245,000 people in the UK now classified as ‘problem gamblers’. The value of the industry is astronomical with around £14billion being lost through betting in 2019 alone. The majority of this is lost by betting on football matches; Sportsradar estimates that football accounts for 70% of the annual worth of sports match betting revenue globally which is estimated to be between $700bn to $1tn from legal and illegal activity. 

    It is suggested that the problem is exacerbated, or at least not helped, by the relentless exposure to betting advertising experienced by spectators and TV-viewers of football matches. In the 2002-03 season, Betfair were the first betting partner in English football and this was the beginning of a gradual takeover by gambling partners. Nowadays, according to the investigation in Channel 4’s documentary, Gambling’s Football Addiction, in most televised football games, the logos of gambling companies can appear more than 700 times in a match. That equates to 6 appearances per minute and is practically unavoidable by any watcher. The likelihood is also that any fan who purchases merchandise from their club, will wear the logos of betting companies on the clothing. 17 out of the 20 clubs in the Premier League and 17 out of the 24 teams in the Championship are linked with Official Betting Partners and sport their brands upon their training and playing kit. Fulham are the most prolific ‘betting partner’ club, having had 5 gambling brands as their primary partner in 7 of the last 10 seasons. The three tiers of the English Football League are all sponsored by SkyBet and many of the largest clubs have primary sponsorship deals with a variety of gambling brands.

    Despite this, the UK government has resisted making a decisive judgement and enforcing a mandatory ban on betting partnerships in English football. Instead, the government decided that the best strategy in tackling this problem is to leave the decision to the English Football Association to voluntarily devise and implement their own methods of combating the current situation. They offer their support by carrying out white-paper studies and independent research to provide useful insight into the exact problems, impacts and areas affected by such sponsorship deals. The government is also currently conducting a full comprehensive review of gambling laws which will likely have a knock-on effect on the manner in which the FA finalises their decisions on football and betting partnerships. The current situation of Premier League clubs involved in primary front-of-shirt betting sponsorships is worth around £60m per year across eight clubs as follows:

    CLUB COMPANY EXPIRY
    Bournemouth Dafabet 2024
    Brentford Hollywoodbets 2023
    Everton Stake Multi-year
    Fulham W88 2023
    Leeds SBOTOP Multi-year
    Newcastle FUN88 2023
    Southampton  Sportsbet 2024
    West Ham Betway 2025
    SOON: Aston Villa BK8 Begins 2023, Expires 2026

    Source: HubFootball

    In light of external pressure from the government; the Department for Culture, Media and Sport; and wider campaigns, a vote took place last week. The vote consulted all of the Premier League clubs and asked them to express their own opinion on whether partnerships with gambling companies should be banned. As seen in the table above, the traditional ‘big 6’ are not usually the ones to sign major agreements with betting companies but it is the next calibre of clubs. Previously, only a ban on using the betting company logos of youth or academy kits was in place. However, the statement made by the Premier League this week confirmed that the clubs had “collectively agreed to withdraw gambling sponsorship from the front of matchday shirts”. A ‘three-year phase-out’ process will now begin, ending at the conclusion of the 2025/26 season. After these three years and for the start of the 2026-27 season, betting companies will no longer be permitted as front-of-shirt or primary sponsors of English professional football clubs. The ban will not be as strict as elsewhere in Europe though, as the partnerships will still be permissible within the UK jurisdiction and will even still be legally visible as sleeve sponsors on club kit. 

    The Future

    Most current deals are worth around £6-10million per season. However, all of the clubs listed in the table above will be required to source new primary commercial partners for the 2026-27 season. There is also a substantial probability that the ban will also manifest itself into the EFL. It is estimated that for the EFL and their lucrative deal with SkyBet, this will cost clubs around £40million per year if this is no longer permitted. Hence, the objection to such a ban is that smaller and less financially robust clubs will be significantly impacted and disadvantaged by restricting the income from sponsorship opportunities available to them. It is well-known that betting companies are willing to offer substantially more in sponsorship than companies from many other industries and are therefore usually more enticing for clubs outside of the ‘extraordinarily wealthy’ category.

    There will be no choice if the withdrawal extends to the lower tiers of English football however, and these clubs will have to seek sponsorship revenue and fundraising elsewhere. Once this immediate financial loss is absorbed, it is hoped that clubs will be able to source sustainable and more ethical sponsorship agreements. The majority of football fans and stakeholders are confident that clubs will be able to adapt and adjust to the new sponsorship landscape and not be disadvantaged in the long term. 

    Another point to consider is that these changes will open the door to an increase in sponsorship agreements from new and modern industries and sectors. For example, the increasing popularity of Cryptocurrency and blockchain and the companies at the forefront of the industries could create a refreshing hotspot for sponsorship agreements. This sector may be a timely and equally lucrative source of commercial partnerships for football clubs and its growth could be accelerated by the removal of betting companies as competition.

    Summary

    Gambling partnerships in football are an interesting area of football business that will play out over the next few years, perhaps culminating in a total and comprehensive blanket ban on betting sponsorships and partnerships in any level of football. Some national associations and governments are ahead of the curve whilst others are taking the time to best strategise how to reduce the negative impact of betting companies as commercial partners in football. It is a serious issue that needs to be regulated and considered thoroughly globally. 

    Perhaps one lasting thought on such a topic, if exposure to gambling advertisements is being restricted and erased so dramatically despite their long-standing financial contributions to football, is there also an argument that the same bans should apply to alcohol brands similarly to how smoking companies were banned from sports involvement decades ago, and then maybe even to unhealthy fast food chains and sugary drinks? Alcohol has been removed from front-of-shirts but are there not further amendments that should be made going forward to all of the ‘bad influence’ commercial partners?

    The Major Differences for Agents Representing Football/Soccer Coaches

    By
    Dr. Erkut Sogut , Jamie Khan
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    Introduction

    Representing a football coach or manager is becoming increasingly common in the modern football environment. These individuals are in a position to require representation in their particularly volatile roles and some agents have formed focusing on representing coaches alone rather than players. In this blog we will assess the concept of representing football coaching staff, the most important things to be aware of and the major differences from representing players.

    Licensed Coach Agents

    Prior to the transition to the new FIFA Agent Regulations beginning in January of 2023, it was not required that a representative acting on behalf of a coach or manager in football must have an agent licence. The former licensing system only applied for agents representing players. 

    The new regulations, which will be fully enforced from 1st October 2023, have now combined the representation of football coaches into the same bracket as players and hence, agents will need to obtain their official FIFA Football Agent licence before they are able to enter into a representation contract with a coach. The representation of the coach will then also have to comply with the FIFA agent regulations regarding commission caps, multiple representation and other legal requirements. 

    One significant difference that this will make is that currently, many coaches are represented by family members. The requirement to now pass the agent exam in order to legally represent a coach will present a barrier to family members wishing to represent their relative. This is likely to mean more coaches will be seeking agents further afield than their immediate family.

    Being the Agent of a Coach and the Differences from Representing Players

    Much like football players, coaches in the modern era require professional representation. The majority of top coaches will have agents who are tasked similarly to player agents; to identify potential opportunities in the market and to make the deals materialise. Even though coaches are less likely to sign lucrative sponsorship deals, there are still financial opportunities for agents through the contracts that they sign with clubs. 

    An important point to note is that coaches will usually be inclined to work with relatively older agents that have greater experience and a long-established network within the industry. It is a very different service required of the agent to represent an older person rather than a younger player. Coaches will often have families and children which need to be considered and hence, an agent in a similar life circumstance may be able to relate to the coach in a way that improves their professional relationship and productivity. For an agent to successfully represent a coach, they must be aware of the major differences and priorities of the client, as with any.

    Media work is a significant component when it comes to representing coaches. For coaches this is a vital area to master. Coaches are recruited based upon their reputation and often the public’s perception of them. Generally, clubs are more lenient towards coaches that come across well in public-facing situations; they may get a few more games to redeem themselves whilst coaches that are not so strong in this area may be sacked without such an opportunity. It is a key responsibility as the agent to help a coach client to develop and improve their reputation through arranging interviews and helping them with media training.

    Ultimately, as with any client an agent may work with, their role is to find and secure the best opportunities. For coaches, agents need to proactively seek possible opportunities for job interviews and offers in any market where the client could succeed and is willing to go to. Agents will be proactive in finding and identifying clubs where there may soon be a managerial vacancy and then formulating how best to move forward to position their client as an attractive replacement. A strong relationship with clubs is vital for agents representing coaches, arguably more so than for representing players, as it will mean agents are able to find more opportunities for the client. This goes beyond just having a strong contact with the Sporting Director or Head of Recruitment; it is often the owners and other board members who are key decision makers in the managerial position at a club. Therefore, if agents have a good relationship with them, they enhance their chances of finding a suitable placement for their client.

    Agents that represent both players and coaches view the opportunity of a coach client as potentially collaterally beneficial for the services they can offer to their playing clients. For example, if an agent represents the coach of a club which may be well-suited as an opportunity for some of their playing clients, this is a potential gateway into creating a link and deal to move the player into the club. Coaches and other staff will usually have an influence on the transfer strategy and recruitment targets of the club and hence, representing a coach will mean they will already be aware of your playing clients and their chances of success if coming into the club. However, on the other side of this is that caution must be taken to avoid a conflict of interest. The agent needs to prioritise the best interests of each client without causing a problematic overlap. Furthermore, an issue is created if an agent establishes too much control within a club, this can cause greater problems and difficulties for the wider football industry. This is something to be considered when speaking with clubs and it is important to understand their situation. 

    In the modern football landscape, agents also sometimes work with coaches working at youth level and may be coaching academy u16-u23 age group teams. The reason for doing this is two-fold. Firstly, the coach could be at the beginning of their own career and perhaps they might go on to coach at the highest level. Secondly, it provides a good link into discovering the next best talent coming out of the academy system. 

    Managerial Contracts

    Most recently, as well as the high profile dismissals of Brendan Rodgers, Graham Potter and Antonio Conte, the sacking of Julian Nagelsmann dominated the football news after Bayern Munich sacked the coach despite averaging 2.31 points per game and reaching the UEFA Champions League quarter-final. Phrases like ‘sacking season’ are a common tongue-in-cheek jibe towards the volatility and vulnerability of a managerial situation. For example, 12 managers have been sacked in the 2022/23 season in the English Premier League alone, over half of the clubs in the league and including two sacked by Southampton in the space of four months and two at Chelsea within six months. Watford, now in the English Championship have had 20 managers in the last 10 seasons and a reflection of the instability of a coach’s position at a club at any time. The table below shows the managerial dismissals in the 2022-23 English Premier League season, including Graham Potter’s departure from Brighton as Chelsea bought him out of his contract there:

    Source: footballtransfers.com

    This is a major point of difference from the employment contracts given to players. It is far more uncommon for players to just simply be sacked at the whim of a club’s board whilst coaches are often chopped and changed in an almost constant revolving door of managers in the top football leagues. Whilst some clubs buck the trend and managers can survive a decent tenure based upon results and success, the average duration of a coach is no longer than two seasons in the top European leagues. Failure to meet the objectives of the owners and the board, ‘losing’ the changing room as players can turn against the coach, a lack of connection with the fans, and consistently poor results will, more often than not, result in the ruthless sacking of the coach.

    In light of this, perhaps the most important aspect for agents to be aware of is the termination clauses within a coach’s contract. The majority of employment contracts with coaches in the modern football era will contain termination clauses which will be negotiated by the agent. If these terms are clearly outlined within the contract signed at the beginning of the tenure, the coach should not suffer financially from being sacked. The termination terms will usually ensure that the coach is adequately compensated for the remaining time left on their contract when they are dismissed. This will often be awarded as a one-time large payment made to the coach by the club. For example, when Jose Mourinho was sacked by Manchester United in 2018, he received a payout of £15million as he had two years left on his contract. Antonio Conte and his backroom staff, received a share of £26million in the same year from Chelsea after he was dismissed despite winning the Premier League in his first season and then the FA Cup in the year he was sacked for finishing 5th in the table. 

    Agents must be aware that termination clauses can be as specific or broad as is desired and ultimately, agreed upon. For example, the club may wish to negotiate that the coach will have the termination fee reduced if they have been knocked out of all domestic cups and, if they finish in the bottom half of the league, they will not receive any compensation payout at all if they are dismissed as a result. The agent may compromise and agree that their client will be entitled to compensation regardless of their position in the league but accept a reduced fee if they do not meet certain objectives in domestic cups. Whatever is agreed upon at the time of the contract signing will most likely be enforced once the coach is sacked and the agent must ensure their client is not harshly financially penalised.  

    If termination clauses were omitted from the original employment contract, it should be the responsibility of the agent to rectify the situation if a coaching client is sacked. Fortunately, all hope is not lost as in the majority of countries there are employment, contract and labour laws which prevent the termination of contracts without just cause or a minimum level of financial compensation. The agents will be able to negotiate what is known as a ‘termination settlement’ with suitable legal advice and assistance which will make the coach financially stable and the agent and client can then move on to finding the next opportunity. The more amicable the departure and the brevity of the legal battle, the lesser the damage to a coach’s reputation and hence, a greater chance of finding another coaching role in the future.

    Summary

    The employment status and job security of a coach is almost unlike any other profession in the world. Agents that wish to represent coaches must have an in-depth understanding of the way in which a club operates and the relationships they have with managers. It can be very volatile and the agent must ensure their client is not placed in a difficult situation if the worst is to happen and they are dismissed by a club. Implementing termination clauses and reassuring clients they will be financially secure will help the agent provide the best service to their client as a coach. In return, representing a coach or multiple coaches will reward the licensed agent and open up new gateways and access points into football clubs around the world. 

    Neue Lizenzierungssystem der FA – Das deutsche Lizenzierungsverfahren im internationalen Vergleich

    By
    Luis Kircher , Dr. Erkut Sogut
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    Der englische Fußballverband (FA) hat kürzlich ein neues Lizenzierungssystem für Fußballklubs in England angekündigt. Das neue System, das ab der Saison 2024/25 in Kraft tritt, soll mehr finanzielle Stabilität und Nachhaltigkeit im englischen Fußball fördern und mehr Schutz bieten. Daher werden in diesem Blogbeitrag das neue Lizenzierungssystem der FA vorgestellt und mit dem deutschen Lizenzierungsverfahren verglichen. 

    Neues FA-Lizenzierungssystem

    Nach dem neuen Lizenzierungssystem müssen Fußballklubs eine Reihe finanzieller und Governance-Kriterien erfüllen, um eine Lizenz zur Teilnahme am englischen Fußball zu erhalten. Zu diesen Kriterien gehören Anforderungen an die Klubs. Beispielsweise müssen sie eine gesunde Finanzlage aufrechterhalten. Dabei müssen die Klubs nachweisen, dass sie in der Lage sind, ihren finanziellen Verpflichtungen nachzukommen und langfristig nachhaltig zu wirtschaften.

    Das neue Lizenzierungssystem wird auch mehr Wert auf gute Führung und Transparenz legen, wobei die Klubs verpflichtet sind, auf faire und transparente Weise zu operieren und eine Reihe von regulatorischen Anforderungen einzuhalten. Dazu gehören das regelmäßige Veröffentlichen von Finanzberichten und die Unterhaltung solider Systeme der internen Kontrolle und des Risikomanagements.

    Der “Owners’ and Directors’ Test” gilt für alle Vereine der Premier League, English Football League, National League, Isthmian League, Northern Premier League, Southern Football League, WSL und Women’s Championship. Der Zweck des Tests besteht darin, dass die Eigentümer, Direktoren und Amtsträger von Vereinen in diesen Ligen Standards erfüllen, die über die gesetzlich vorgeschriebenen hinausgehen, um den Ruf und das Image des Spiels zu schützen. Die Premier League und die English Football League führen den Test für Klubs in ihren Ligen durch.

    Darüber hinaus bietet das neue Lizenzierungssystem einen besseren Schutz für Fans und Gläubiger für den Fall, dass ein Verein in finanzielle Schwierigkeiten gerät oder von Insolvenz bedroht ist. Die FA wird größere Befugnisse haben, um in die Angelegenheiten von Vereinen einzugreifen, die sich in einer finanziellen Notlage befinden, und sie wird in der Lage sein, Sanktionen und Strafen gegen Vereine zu verhängen, die ihren finanziellen Verpflichtungen nicht nachkommen oder die neuen Lizenzierungsanforderungen nicht erfüllen.

    Das neue Lizenzierungssystem wurde von Fans, Vereinen und Branchenexperten allgemein begrüßt, die es als positiven Schritt zur Förderung einer größeren finanziellen Stabilität und Nachhaltigkeit im englischen Fußball sehen. Das System soll helfen, zu verhindern, dass Klubs zu hohe Ausgaben tätigen und unhaltbare Schulden anhäufen.

    Einige haben jedoch Bedenken geäußert, dass das neue Lizenzierungssystem für kleinere Klubs, die Schwierigkeiten haben könnten, die strengen Finanz- und Governance-Anforderungen zu erfüllen, übermäßig belastend sein könnte. Es gibt auch Bedenken, dass das System schwierig durchzusetzen sein könnte, insbesondere wenn Klubs versuchen, die Regeln zu umgehen oder Schlupflöcher in den Vorschriften finden.

    Vorbilder für ein solches Lizenzierungssystem gibt es einige. Jedoch sind vor allem das deutsche Lizenzierungssystem der DFL und das UEFA Financial Fair Play immer wieder im Fokus. 

    Der deutsche Weg mit der 50+1-Regel

    Das Lizenzierungssystem der DFL soll sicherstellen, dass alle Vereine der 1. und 2. Bundesliga finanziell stabil, nachhaltig und transparent agieren. Das Lizenzierungssystem basiert insbesondere, aber nicht ausschließlich, auf drei Schlüsselbereichen: Infrastruktur, Finanzen und sportliche Kriterien.

    Die Infrastrukturkriterien konzentrieren sich darauf, sicherzustellen, dass die Vereine über angemessene Einrichtungen verfügen, um in einem professionellen Umfeld tätig zu sein. Dazu gehören Anforderungen wie ein geeignetes Stadion, das bestimmte Standards erfüllt, einschließlich einer Mindestsitzplatzkapazität und anderer technischer Anforderungen. Die Vereine müssen auch über angemessene Trainingseinrichtungen, medizinische Einrichtungen und Sicherheitsmaßnahmen verfügen.

    Die Finanzierungskriterien konzentrieren sich darauf, sicherzustellen, dass die Vereine finanziell stabil sind und über ein nachhaltiges Geschäftsmodell verfügen. Die Klubs müssen einen detaillierten Finanzplan für die kommende Spielzeit vorlegen und nachweisen, dass sie über ausreichende finanzielle Mittel verfügen, um ihre Ausgaben zu decken. Sie müssen auch finanzielle Transparenz nachweisen und strenge Vorschriften in Bezug auf Finanzberichterstattung und Rechenschaftspflicht einhalten.

    Die sportlichen Kriterien konzentrieren sich darauf, sicherzustellen, dass die Vereine über eine konkurrenzfähige Mannschaft verfügen, die in der Lage ist, auf höchstem Niveau zu konkurrieren. Die Klubs müssen über ein Nachwuchsförderungsprogramm verfügen und ihre Mannschaft muss in den vergangenen Spielzeiten ein bestimmtes Leistungsniveau aufweisen. Sie müssen auch nachweisen, dass sie über geeignetes Trainerpersonal und medizinisches Personal verfügen, um die Gesundheit und Sicherheit ihrer Spieler zu gewährleisten.

    Das Lizenzierungssystem der DFL wird jährlich überprüft: Die Vereine müssen zu Beginn jeder Saison eine Lizenz beantragen. Die Einhaltung der Lizenzierungsvoraussetzungen durch die DFL wird vor Erteilung der Lizenz von jedem Verein gründlich geprüft. Wenn ein Klub die Lizenzierungsanforderungen nicht erfüllt, kann ihm die Lizenz verweigert oder es drohen Sanktionen.

    Großer Bestandteil der finanziellen Kriterien ist die 50+1-Regel. Die 50+1-Regel sieht vor, dass mindestens 50 % plus eine Aktie eines Fußballvereins seinen Mitgliedern gehören müssen. Das bedeutet, dass die Fans ein bedeutendes Mitspracherecht bei der Führung des Vereins haben, einschließlich der Ernennung des Vorstands und des Managements. Es stellt auch sicher, dass der Verein nicht im Besitz einer einzelnen Person oder eines Unternehmens ist, was dazu führen könnte, dass der Verein zum Vorteil des Profits und nicht des Sports betrieben wird.

    Die Ursprünge der 50+1-Regel lassen sich bis in die 1990er-Jahre zurückverfolgen, als sich der deutsche Fußball stark veränderte. Mit dem Aufkommen der Bundesliga versuchten Vereine, ihr kommerzielles Potenzial zu maximieren, und viele versuchten, Investitionen von wohlhabenden Privatpersonen und Unternehmen anzuziehen. Es wuchs jedoch die Sorge, dass dies zu einer Machtkonzentration in den Händen einiger weniger führen könnte, was möglicherweise zum Zusammenbruch kleinerer Vereine und zur Kommerzialisierung des Sports führen könnte.

    Um dies zu verhindern, führte der Deutsche Fußball-Bund (DFB) 1998 die 50+1-Regelung ein, die später in die Satzung der DFL aufgenommen wurde. Die Regel stellt sicher, dass die Vereine im Interesse der Mitglieder geführt werden und nicht im Interesse externer Investoren.

    Die 50+1-Regel hat erhebliche Auswirkungen auf den deutschen Fußball, und viele argumentieren, dass sie zum Erfolg und zur Stabilität der Bundesliga beigetragen hat. Vereine sind nicht den Interessen externer Investoren verpflichtet und können sich auf ihre langfristige Entwicklung und ihren Erfolg konzentrieren. Es stellt auch sicher, dass der Sport erschwinglich und für die Fans zugänglich bleibt, die ein wesentlicher Bestandteil der Kultur des deutschen Fußballs sind.

    Die 50+1-Regel ist jedoch nicht unumstritten. Einige argumentieren, dass dies das finanzielle Potenzial von Klubs einschränkt und sie daran hindert, mit Vereinen wie Manchester City und Paris Saint-Germain zu konkurrieren, die von erheblichen Investitionen wohlhabender Eigentümer profitiert haben. Andere argumentieren jedoch, dass die Regel gleiche Wettbewerbsbedingungen gewährleistet und verhindert, dass der Sport von einigen wenigen wohlhabenden Personen dominiert wird.

    In den letzten Jahren gab es einige Herausforderungen für die 50+1-Regel, da einige Vereine versuchten, sie zu ändern oder abzuschaffen. Die Regel bleibt jedoch ein grundlegender Bestandteil des deutschen Fußballs, und ihr Fortbestehen wird als entscheidend für die Zukunft des Sports angesehen.

    UEFA Financial Fair Play

    Das UEFA-Reglement zum Financial Fair Play (FFP) wurde 2011 eingeführt, um die finanzielle Stabilität der europäischen Fußballklubs zu fördern. Diese Vorschriften wurden als Reaktion auf die wachsende Besorgnis über die finanzielle Lebensfähigkeit von Fußballvereinen und das Potenzial für finanzielles Missmanagement und nicht nachhaltige Ausgabenpraktiken eingeführt, die dem Sport langfristigen Schaden zufügen könnten.

    Die UEFA-FFP-Reglemente verlangen von den Klubs, im Rahmen ihrer Möglichkeiten zu wirtschaften und sicherzustellen, dass sie keine übermäßigen Schulden anhäufen. Klubs müssen der UEFA regelmäßig Finanzberichte vorlegen, und sie können mit Strafen und sogar mit dem Ausschluss aus UEFA-Wettbewerben rechnen, wenn sie die Vorschriften nicht einhalten.

    Das Hauptziel des UEFA-FFP-Reglements ist die Förderung der finanziellen Nachhaltigkeit im europäischen Fußball. Die Vorschriften sollen sicherstellen, dass Vereine nicht über ihre Verhältnisse hinaus Geld ausgeben und untragbare Schulden anhäufen. Dies wird erreicht, indem von den Klubs verlangt wird, ihre Bücher auszugleichen, um sicherzustellen, dass sie genügend Einnahmen generieren, um ihre Ausgaben und Schuldenrückzahlungen zu decken.

    Das UEFA-FFP-Reglement zielt auch darauf ab, das finanzielle Fairplay im europäischen Fußball zu fördern. Die Vorschriften zielen darauf ab, gleiche Wettbewerbsbedingungen für alle Klubs zu schaffen, indem Klubs daran gehindert werden, ihre finanziellen Ressourcen einzusetzen, um sich einen unfairen Vorteil gegenüber ihren Konkurrenten zu verschaffen. Dies wird erreicht, indem die Geldbeträge begrenzt werden, die Vereine für Spielertransfers und Gehälter ausgeben können, und indem Klubs daran gehindert werden, ihre finanziellen Ressourcen zur Manipulation des Transfermarktes einzusetzen.

    Die UEFA-FFP-Regelungen haben seit ihrer Einführung im Jahr 2011 erhebliche Auswirkungen auf den europäischen Fußball. Die Regelungen haben zu einer deutlichen Reduzierung der Verschuldung der europäischen Fußballklubs geführt und auch zu einer größeren finanziellen Stabilität des Sports beigetragen. Die Vorschriften haben auch dazu beigetragen, die Wettbewerbsbedingungen für kleinere Klubs anzugleichen, die gegenüber ihren größeren, wohlhabenderen Rivalen nicht mehr erheblich benachteiligt sind.

    Das UEFA-FFP-Reglement ist jedoch nicht unumstritten. Einige Vereine haben argumentiert, dass die Vorschriften ihre Fähigkeit einschränken, in ihre Kader zu investieren und mit ihren Rivalen zu konkurrieren. Einige haben auch argumentiert, dass die Vorschriften zu komplex und schwer durchzusetzen seien, wobei einigen Klubs vorgeworfen wird, Schlupflöcher in den Vorschriften gefunden zu haben.

    Zusammenfassung

    Das Lizenzierungssystem der DFL stellt erfolgreich sicher, dass die deutschen Fußballvereine finanziell stabil, nachhaltig und transparent agieren. Es fördert einen fairen Wettbewerb und trägt zum Gesamterfolg der Bundesliga und 2. Bundesliga bei. Das System ist ein Vorbild für andere Fußballligen auf der ganzen Welt und ist für seine Effektivität und Effizienz anerkannt.

    Die 50+1-Regel ist ein einzigartiger und kritischer Aspekt des deutschen Fußballs, der dazu beigetragen hat, die Integrität des Sports zu wahren und sicherzustellen, dass die Vereine gemeinschaftsorientiert bleiben. Obwohl es in den letzten Jahren einige Herausforderungen für die Regel gab, wird ihr Fortbestehen als wesentlich für die Zukunft des deutschen Fußballs angesehen. 

    Das UEFA-Reglement zum Financial Fair Play wurde 2011 eingeführt, um finanzielle Stabilität und Fairplay im europäischen Fußball zu fördern. Die Vorschriften zielen darauf ab, sicherzustellen, dass die Vereine im Rahmen ihrer Möglichkeiten arbeiten. Sie hindern die Vereine daran, ihre finanziellen Ressourcen einzusetzen, um sich einen unfairen Vorteil gegenüber ihren Konkurrenten zu verschaffen. Obwohl die Vorschriften umstritten sind, hatten sie bisher einen erheblichen Einfluss auf den europäischen Fußball, indem sie eine größere finanzielle Nachhaltigkeit fördern und die Wettbewerbsbedingungen für kleinere Vereine bis zu einem gewissen Maß ausgleichen.

    Das neue Lizenzierungssystem für Fußballvereine in England stellt einen bedeutenden Schritt zur Förderung größerer finanzieller Stabilität und Nachhaltigkeit im englischen Fußball dar. Auch wenn es einige Bedenken hinsichtlich der möglichen Auswirkungen auf kleinere Vereine geben mag, wird das System weithin als positive Entwicklung für den Sport insgesamt angesehen und dürfte Fans und Gläubigern langfristig einen besseren Schutz bieten.

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